


Titanium

by makeitmine



Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Canonical Character Death - Finn Hudson, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Homophobia, M/M, Out With A Bang Big Bang
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-13
Updated: 2015-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-09 01:45:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 31,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4329000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/makeitmine/pseuds/makeitmine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Titan, the newest boy band, is heating up airwaves and stages across America. Finn, Sam, Puck, Mike, and Blaine have been plucked from obscurity and thrust into the spotlight. It's a tremendous gig, but one that brings Blaine several problems, especially as he continues to fall for Finn's stepbrother. Will "playing it straight" to appease everyone break him, or can he and Kurt survive behind the scenes?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to the people of Out With A Bang for allowing me to post this, even though I wasn't able to get it completed in time. I'm hoping to be able to post more as I have time to write/edit. Other thank yous go to my always amazing beta, Ashleigh, and to both of my artists, chamilet and 47mel47, for their amazing work. Sharon made the poster, and Mel made a [fanvideo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEx-tfaWjiA&feature=youtu.be) (which will be spoilery for upcoming chapters, so watch at your own risk).
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Blaine carefully juggles the contents of his tray as he maneuvers through the tables to where Tina is waiting for him. “You don’t look so hot,” she says as he takes a seat. “Bad day?”

He shakes his head. ‘Not really, I’m just buried in homework this weekend and was hoping to get out to catch a show. And with Dr. Jackson’s first exam the Monday after next, I might not get to then, either.”

“Oh, Blainey Days,” Tina pouts, reaching across to caress his arm in consolation. “It’s only the second week of the semester, why are you working yourself so hard already?”

“So I don’t have a repeat of Christmas when I return home.” The pressures of achieving in school have always been a primary focus of his parents. Even as valedictorian of Westerville Prep's Class of 2013, he could balance the grades along with his extracurriculars. Things soured when Blaine announced he was choosing to attend NYU over any of the Ivy League schools he applied to, and even more so when he declared music as his major. Coming home with a 3.67 GPA was the final straw for William Anderson, as a huge argument entailed over Christmas dinner.

Blaine twists the cap off his bottle of water and takes a long sip. “I have to prove myself to my father, Tina. He’s been distant for six years, and showing him that I can make it in the business will mean so much.”

“What are we talking about?” Marley asks, sliding into the plastic chair to Blaine’s right.

“Blaine’s daddy issues,” Tina replies, rolling her eyes.

“Ah, a subject I am quite versed in.” She takes a bite of her panini. “He’s going to hate himself when I become the next Carole King.”

Reasons like this are why Blaine’s glad he befriended Marley at the Tisch welcome picnic over move-in weekend. They discovered they were both from Ohio--Blaine from Westerville, Marley from Lorain--and they started discussing their home lives. He found out her father left when she was five and only contacts her on her birthday. She even legally changed her surname from Brennan to her mother’s maiden name, Rose, just after she turned eighteen. Tina lives five rooms down from Marley, and the three of them have been nearly inseparable since September.

Marley changes the subject. “So, Blaine, are you going to that big tryout everyone was talking about in my History of Music class today?”

“What big tryout?” he asks.

“You didn’t hear about it? The record label that The Troubletones are on is holding coast-to-coast auditions for a boyband at Lincoln Center next Saturday and Sunday. I guess they’re hoping for the next big thing.”

“Oh, I think I read about that on Tumblr,” Tina chimes in. She prides herself on having an eclectic music taste, but more than once Blaine has caught her dancing around her dorm room to The Troubletones’ first album. “You should totally audition, Blaine, they’ll love you!”

“I really don’t think that’s a good idea,” he says.

“Why not?” Marley asks.

“Oh, there are plenty of reasons why not. I’m busy with school, for one. I’m a little too clean-cut for their tastes.” He gestures to the bowtie he pristinely wrapped around his neck. “My parents would be unbelievably pissed that another son chooses stardom over a degree--I mean, Cooper ran off to Hollywood two weeks after they sent in his deposit.”

The girls exchange worried looks with one another. “Blaine,” Tina sighs, “I mean this with all the love in the world, but you really need to grow a pair. Your voice is incredible, and I’m sure you can make it into the group. Plus you’re already working on knowing what happens behind the scenes, so they would probably give you additional experience.”

“I know, Tay, but I’m not all that interested.”

Marley smiles at Blaine. “You should still do it. I called Ryder after class and told him, he’s going to try to drive out here next Friday. With Tina and me there to support both of you, I’m sure one of you will make it far!”

Blaine still isn’t convinced, even knowing Marley’s boyfriend from Ohio, whom he’s met and likes a lot, is making the trek out for it. “Can I let you know Wednesday?” he asks. “If I can get to a good place in studying and find a song to audition with, then I’ll do it.”

“Sure!” she exclaims. Tina grins at Blaine while not-so-secretly fistbumping Marley under the table. Blaine smiles and turns his attention to his salad.

* * *

By Sunday evening, Blaine is fed up with everything. He can’t focus enough to get the terminology for his Intro to Music Business class down, his writing professor was not overjoyed by his first essay, and Tommy, his roommate, has been playing Call of Duty nonstop save for the few times he retreats to class. To make matters worse, Marley is still nagging Blaine to make a decision about next weekend. The more she goes on about it, especially now that he’s agreed to let Ryder stay in his room for the weekend, the less inclined he is to go.

His phone begins to play the FreeCreditRatingToday jingle, and he checks his watch. It’s already 8, the set time for their weekly phone call. Blaine scoots his laptop onto the bed and picks up the phone. “Hey, Coop,” he answers.

“Blainey!” Cooper replies with the enthusiasm of an overcaffeinated flight attendant. “How’s my favorite little brother doing today?”

 

“Well, unless Mom and Dad have been keeping a gigantic secret from me the last nineteen years, your only little brother is surviving.” He’s not entirely in the mood for Cooper’s antics tonight.

“Uh-oh. Is something wrong? You’re usually much more bubbly than this.”

“I’m not bubbly, Cooper,” Blaine protests.

“Not right now you aren’t. What’s up? Are you still pissed about what ol’ Pops decided to pull at Christmas?”

He slides further up his headboard. “Yeah, a little. I’m already stressed out dealing with my classes this semester, and wanting to prove to him that he’s not wasting thirty grand a year on my education means I’m going to have to go above and beyond.”

“You’ve always been the perfectionist in the family,” Cooper says. “As long as you remember to take some time for yourself. Hit up Broadway, go to some auditions, get some new bowties for your wardrobe…”

Blaine chuckles. “It’s funny you mention that. My friend, Marley, is trying to convince me to go to this audition on Saturday.”

“Oh, yeah? What’s it for?”

“It’s actually not an acting gig, sorry. It’s for a music group.”

“Oh yeah, I heard about the audition they held out here for that today. A boy band created by Dalton Records’ June Dolloway? That will be huge!”

“Wait, June Dolloway?” Blaine knows who she is. June is a Grammy-winning singer who took over Dalton when her second husband passed away. He dreams of earning her approval one day, of her choosing his songs for her artists to record. Maybe Blaine would be lucky enough to sign a contract with Dalton--maybe with this band.

“Oh, yeah, I even looked into the possibility of auditioning until my agent let me down and explained that I was slightly over their age limit.”

“Coop, you just turned thirty,” Blaine says.

“Age is just a number, little bro!” Cooper laughs. “I certainly don’t feel that old. Mentally, I could easily pass for twenty-one.”

“You might be overestimating that.”

“What was that, Blainey?”

Blaine laughs. “So, what do you think? Should I go ahead and try out, start networking in hopes of an internship this summer or something?”

“What did Mom and Dad say about this?”

“They...may not know I’m considering doing this.”

“Ahh,” Cooper says. A beat of silence goes by. “Yeah, I guess their disapproval would be obvious, and a great reason to prove Pops wrong about your future plans.”

“I’m an adult, Cooper. If I do this--and I’m not even on board with the idea yet--it’s going to be for other reasons. I don’t even particularly want to join the group.”

Cooper sounds shocked when he replies, “Why not? Blaine, you’re one of the most dynamic, talented artists I’ve ever heard. You would have to be a shoo-in as soon as you open your mouth for them.”

He slides down the pillow so that his head is inches from the mattress. “I never wanted to do this for the fame, Coop.”

“So? Don’t think of it that way. If you go through with the audition and they choose you, focus on the music. The fans are just going to be a bonus--besides, they won’t exactly know they have no chance with you, right?”

Blaine bites his lip. He never considered his sexuality when it came to this, and it could be worse. “Yeah, you’re right,” he says. “Unless there’s a huge influx of male fans.”

“You never know!”

Cooper goes silent again, giving Blaine a moment to think. “So, on a scale of one to ten, do you really think I should do this?”

“Ten, absolutely,” Cooper says immediately. “Like you said, even if they reject you, and they would be insane to, it’s a great first step to your career. Plus, if you do make it, I bet you would learn way more than school would teach you.”

“I think you have some good points there,” Blaine says. “Thanks, Coop.”

“Anytime, bro. Oh, make sure you mention that you’re related to television icon Cooper Anderson. That will guarantee they’ll remember you.”

Blaine rolls his eyes. Leave it to Cooper to name drop. “That might not go over very well.” He’s lucky Anderson is such a common surname and they vaguely look related--many of Blaine’s physical attributes come from their mother, while Cooper can pass as their father’s twin from a generation ago. “Anyway,” he segues, “enough about me. How has your week been?”

“Oh, incredible! I got a callback for a pilot about a pair of cops who get into amazing hijinks every week.”

He lets Cooper drone on for an hour about his life. By the time they hang up, he feels better about what to do this week, even if it makes him crazy.

* * *

Blaine realizes as they reach the audition site that no amount of coffee can prepare him for this.

The line was allowed to form at 7, and when they arrive ten minutes later several dozen young men are already waiting. “Wow,” Ryder says under his breath. “Looks like we aren’t the only ones with this idea.”

“Yeah, I know,” Blaine replies. “I think it’s going to be a long day.”

Tina and Marley huddle together behind them, attempting to keep warm despite the sub-freezing temperatures expected today. “Could they at least let you all in to fill out the paperwork?” Marley asks, her voice chattering.

“They aren’t scheduled to begin until 11, so it probably won’t be for a while, I’m guessing.”

The boy standing in front of them turns around. “Yeah, that’s about right,” he says. “Every audition in Nashville is like this, too.”

Blaine eyes the kid--very All-American looks like Ryder. He has a mop of blond hair pulled back into a ponytail and a gorgeous smile. “Really? Have you been to many of these?”

“About twenty since I moved there in June, but nothing quite to this level.” He holds out a hand for Blaine to shake. “Sam Evans.”

He easily takes it. “Blaine Anderson.”

“Ryder Lynn,” Ryder adds as Sam moves on to him. “And my girlfriend, Marley, and Blaine’s friend, Tina.”

Sam’s smile never wavers. “Nice to meet you. Y’all from here?”

Tina steps in. “I am, originally. They all grew up in Ohio, though. I go to NYU with Blaine and Marley.”

“That’s cool. I thought about moving up here after graduation last year, but figured Nashville would give me a better chance to get noticed. Guess I was wrong.”

“And you thought auditioning for this will work?” Blaine asks.

“Producers in Nashville, they only look for one thing. I can sing country, sure. I put a lot of country into my set list. But I do more than that; rock, pop, maybe a few classic standards--that’s who I am. I don’t fit into their precut box, so they shoo me out the moment the music stops.” Sam leans back against the facade and sighs. “Is it weird that I’d rather go mainstream than limit myself?”

“No, not at all,” Marley says. “I feel the same way. If, when I graduate and they don’t want me, I’ll still try to be myself.”

Blaine nods along with her. “My only concern is that you’ll probably be pigeonholed into the pop world. I mean, other than Justin Timberlake, who has made it in a post-boyband career?”

Sam grins and says in a British accent, “Oh, maybe a few lads out of Liverpool, you know?”

“You got me there,” he laughs.

Getting to know Sam makes the wait go easier. He learns that school was a struggle due to dyslexia--to which Ryder commiserates with him--so he left his family in Knoxville and headed three hours west. His parents have struggled, so he hopes to give back to them and his much younger siblings. It makes Blaine’s heart heavy. He’s never had to worry about not getting a meal, but that was the life Sam grew up with.

Eventually they are led inside to fill out paperwork and receive their numbers. From there, an executive leads the men who are auditioning into the theater, while Tina and Marley join a smaller group in the mezzanine.

It’s close to two hours before they are asked to come on stage. When everyone is settled, June Dolloway and another female, dressed down in a track suit, enter from stage left to a resounding applause.

“Good afternoon, gentlemen,” June greets them with a rich smile--quite the opposite of her counterpart. “I assume you are all here for your chance at fame and fortune. Well, let me tell you right now--you have no idea what you’re in for.

“My name, for those of you who haven’t searched through your grandparents’ old records, is June Dolloway. I have been in the business for sixty years, from the time I was discovered at the tender age of fourteen. Justin Bieber was fifteen when he was signed to a label, so who do you think is better?” A chorus of laughter rings across the stage. “Anyway, I’m now semi-retired from performing, save for a few charity shows and the cruise circuit. I now put my time and energy into discovering fine talents such as yours, the same way my dear, late husband Arnold Dalton did when he founded the label.”

“Which is impressive, because Marconi had not invented the radio yet,” June’s sidekick deadpans. Blaine can’t tell if she meant it as an insult or not.

June stops and gestures for her colleague to step forward. “I would like to introduce you to my vice president, and hater of all things on earth, Sue Sylvester.”

“Thank you so much, my favorite corpse,” Sue says before turning to the crowd. “So here’s how it will go down. One by one, you will bring your scrawny behinds up here to mutilate some song. We tell you how terrible you are, and you board the next bus back to Burlington, North Carolina, or whatever pit of hell you call home. Those of you who are the least bad, a video of your audition will be shown to our scouts, who will then select five peons from across the country to form this so-called boyband, while everyone else will go about their lives and remain as bland and mediocre as they were they were born.”

Everyone on stage stares aghast as they try to decipher what Sue said. June, however, raises her bejewelled hand. “What she meant to say is we wish you the best of luck. Auditioners 4201 through 4206, please remain on stage so we can begin. The rest of you may have a seat, but be prepared for when your group is called up here.”

Blaine follows Ryder, Sam, and the others as they file off stage to leave the first batch of auditioners. They aren’t as horrible as Sue claimed they would be, but they aren’t entirely great either. A few men have voices that could give Blaine a run for his money. He starts to relax as more and more are dismissed.

As a redhead named Terry leaves the stage, June announces for their group of six to come up. “I guess we’re doing this,” Sam whispers.

June smiles at them as they line up. “Contestant 4231, please introduce yourself and start your song.”

A husky, nervous boy nods. “I’m Ryan Hastings. I’m 22 years old, and I’m a cashier from Delaware.” He proceeds to completely demolish Grenade to the point where Sue has to cut him off midway through the chorus.

“I think the rodent problem of this city is no more thanks to your voice,” she says snidely.

Blaine stares in horror as the person next to Sam, a rocker named Pete, monotonically sings Bon Jovi. Then it’s Sam’s turn.

“Hi, I’m Sam Evans. I was born and raised in Tennessee, and I moved to Nashville last year to pursue music. Oh, and I’m 18.” Sam proceeds to start on a gorgeous version of The Beatles’ Something. Blaine can hear the country influence in his voice combined with a bit of pop and soul. He smiles at Sam as he finishes his passage. He’s going to go far.

“Thank you, Sam,” June says as the applause of those watching dies down. “You certainly have that natural talent we’re looking for. Sue isn’t even complaining.”

Of course, Sue can’t keep her mouth shut. “Well, Ouiser, it’s hard to critique his singing when one is distracted by his enormous, Kardashian-esque lips. How can you even breathe through them. let alone speak?”

Sam gapes at her. “Just like anyone else?”

“I think it’s safe to say you’re on our short list,” June says with a smile. “Okay, next is contestant 4234.”

Blaine takes a deep breath and steps forward. “Hello, everyone. My name is Blaine Anderson, I am nineteen years old, and I’m a music student at NYU by way of Ohio.”

June nods. “Steinhardt?”

“Uh, no, I’m in the Clive Davis program, for record producing and songwriting. I hope to get involved in all aspects of the industry.”

“Impressive” she says, smiling. “Clive is one of my dearest friends. You may begin, Blaine.”

Blaine nods and gets into his performance headspace, the one that got him through four years of high school. _”It’s nine o’clock on a Saturday, the regular crowd shuffles in…”_

The tension in his nerves dissipates as he gets into the song. It’s difficult to not be able to play along, but he focuses on June and Sue’s reactions. Sue’s face remains as impassive as it’s been all day, but June seems to be enjoying the performance. It gives Blaine the burst of confidence he needs to make it through, and he finishes to a rousing applause, including cheers from Tina and Marley in the balcony. 

June doesn’t clap, but she nods politely to acknowledge him. “Thank you, Blaine, that was great.” 

“Oh, give me a break,” Sue interrupts. “You cannot, in any of your lifetimes, tell me this kid will attract the girls? He sang BIlly Joel, a song of their mothers’ childhoods, and he dresses like he raided Grandpa Joe’s closet. His image will make the group flop faster than your Live in Vegas ‘87 album did.” 

“Sue, you can’t deny his voice is one of the best we’ve heard today.” 

“But he doesn’t fit the package. That’s what sells. He won’t help out at all.” 

“Luckily that isn’t fully our decision to make on whether the full production team wants him,” June says. 

“Not if I have the final word.” Sue bolts up from her seat and walks up the aisle towards the lobby. When she reaches the door she turns around. “Young man, you can jump back into your time machine and go back to the 70’s. Maybe the disco craze will inspire your wardrobe.” 

Blaine watches her walk out and slam the door in stunned disbelief. He hadn’t been all that interested in making it, but he wasn’t expecting outright rejection like this. “I-I’m sorry, Ms. Dolloway,” he stammers out. 

June gives him a sympathetic smile. “Not as sorry as I am.” 

He nods and steps back into the line on stage. Sam reaches over and pats him on the back. “Dude, that lady was so full of it,” he whispers. “I would have loved to perform with you.” 

“Thanks, man,” Blaine nods. He focuses on watching Ryder’s audition and what he needs to study once he returns to campus. 


	2. Chapter 2

New York is slowly thawing out from the winter. Blaine isn’t keen on the gray, drab days that have arrived, but they’re the first sign that birds are returning and flowers will be sprouting in the parks. Spring break is this weekend, and even though he’s returning to Westerville for the week, it’s still a much-needed vacation from the stress of his classes.

Blaine’s spirit has recovered from the horror of the audition. He knows it was a long shot in the first place, but at least he has a taste of what the industry looks for should he want to peruse recording his own music for them. That horrible wench with June shouldn’t even have a job scouting if she treats everyone that way. He wonders if they’ve finalized who will be in the group yet--any Google search of Dalton Records’ five-man group brings up national audition information.

When he returns from dinner with Tina, Tommy only barely makes eye contact with him. “Dude, you left your phone here,” he says, his attention more into his Playstation than his roommate.

“I know,” Blaine sighs. “I needed to charge it.”

“Well, it’s been ringing.”

“Thanks.” He pads over to the charging station on his desk. Sure enough, Blaine has two missed calls and a voice mail displaying on the lock screen. The number is unfamiliar, a 212 area code. Worried it’s one of his professors with an urgent question, he swipes through to listen to the message.

“Hello,” an unfamiliar male voice greets him. “This message is for Blaine Anderson. My name is Will Schuester, and I am the head of the talent acquisition team at Dalton Records. If you could, please give me a call back at 212-555-9196, extension 39513. I will be in the office until 7 tonight, and then back at 9 tomorrow morning. I look forward to hearing from you, Blaine, and I hope you have a good evening.”

Blaine sinks into his chair in shock, then repeats the message. It’s just as unbelievable as it was the first time. He wakes his laptop up and pulls up Dalton’s website. There is a William Schuester listed on their board. A reverse search of the phone number links it to Dalton Records.

“Holy shit,” he breathes out.

Tommy looks up from his game. “You okay?”

Blaine nods. “Yeah,” he says, shocked at Tommy’s concern. “Do you mind if I have a friend come over? She won’t stay too long.”

“Nah, it’s cool. Especially if it’s your hot Asian friend.”

“Uh, not this time.”

Marley rushes over the moment her guitar lesson ends. “What’s up?” she asks him as she sets her guitar and bag down. “Your text sounded urgent.”

“It is,” Blaine replies. He opens the message up again. “Here, take a listen to this.”

He watches as Marley’s face goes from concerned to bewildered. “No way!” she exclaims. “Is it true?”

“It has to be. The number links back to their offices.”

“What do you think he wants? I know June loved you even if the crazy one didn’t.”

“I have no clue. Maybe it’s about an internship, since I mentioned wanting to get into the industry.”

Marley takes Blaine’s hand. “Sweetie, I think there’s more to it. If it were for an internship, he probably would have just emailed you. A phone call sounds way more important.”

Blaine’s heart rate quickens. “Do you think…”

“Call him and find out,” Marley smiles.

He checks his watch--7:41. “It’s too late now,” he says. “I’ll have to do it in the morning.”

“First think, and let me know.”

“Of course.”

Their conversation turns to how their midterms have gone so far before Marley realizes she has an assignment to turn in in the morning. Blaine says goodbye to her, then gathers his things to shower. When he returns to the room, Tommy has turned the Playstation off--after waking Blaine up one too many times celebrating a kill the previous semester, they’ve come to an agreement of quiet time after 11--and now is at his desk studying. Blaine climbs into his bed and struggles to fall asleep. The phone call weighs heavily on his mind, and by the time Tommy falls asleep he’s gone through a myriad of situations.

When Blaine’s alarm goes off at 6:15 the next morning he groans. As much as he’d prefer to relax (or attempt to) until it’s time to make the call, he has class from 8 until 10. He goes through his morning routine, careful not to wake Tommy up, and grabs his books and coat before heading to the dining hall for a bite to eat.

If anyone were to ask Blaine what was covered in class, he’d fail to give an answer. The entire two hours is spent counting down until he can rush back to his dorm and give Will a call. It’s almost a relief when Dr. Keppinger takes pity and releases them early. Blaine darts across campus and takes the stairs up to his room two at a time. “Hey, Tommy, can you turn that down?” he pants, out of breath from running for the first time in months. “I need to make a phone call.”

Tommy grunts. “It’s my room, too.”

“Please?” Blaine pleads. “I’ll let you play until 1 tonight.”

“How courteous,” he snips, grabbing the television remote and muting his war game.

“Thank you,” Blaine says. He takes a seat at his desk and makes the call, holding his breath the entire time it rings.

A pleasant female voice picks up. “Good morning, Dalton Records Talent Acquisition and Management, this is Emma.”

Blaine inhales slowly. “Um, hi, I’m calling for Will Schuester? My name’s Blaine Anderson, he left a message for me last night…”

“Oh, Blaine!” Emma replies cheerfully. “Of course, hold on one moment.” She puts him on hold, and he listens to the catchy new single The Troubletones just released.

Within two minutes the sound cuts out and he hears the line click. “Blaine? This is Will, how are you doing today?”

“I’m good, thank you,” Blaine says. “And you?”

“Wonderful. I’m so glad to hear back from you. As I’m sure you’ve discovered, I’m one of June Dolloway’s scouts, and I go through and look for those people whom I believe will be a major asset to Dalton’s repertoire.”

Blaine smiles. “Yes, sir, I’ve seen what you do.”

“Good,” Will says. “Now, last month you attended one of the open call auditions for our latest group. There were so many outstanding performances, and it was incredibly difficult for our team to choose the five best out of those, but we did.

“What we didn’t expect, however, was that one of the young men we chose decided against joining us.” Blaine’s eyebrows furrow--what does this have to do with him? “One thing most people don’t know about June Dolloway, though, is that she knows what she wants. When the opening came up, she gave me your audition tape. I understand that Sue Sylvester walked out of your performance, Blaine?”

“Um, yes, sir.”

Will chuckles. “It’s a good thing I don’t value her opinions very often. Your performance was outstanding, and I understood why June was raving about it. You have such a natural, gifted stage presence that is hard to find in too many people.”

“Thank you, sir,” Blaine says. His confusion is much higher than it had been sixteen hours ago when he first heard the message.

“Please, call me Will. You have excellent manners, but I prefer to be on a first name basis with everyone.”

“Oh, sure, of course.”

“Anyway,” Will continues, “when we decided on the final person, our crew was fairly unanimous on this. Blaine, we would like to offer you a spot in the group if you’re still interested.”

Blaine nearly falls out of the chair. “Oh my god, really?” he shouts, earning a loud and rude cursing string from Tommy.

“Absolutely,” Will replies. “You are outstanding and everything we set out to look for. Now, June said you are currently living in New York?”

“Yeah, yeah, I attend NYU. Actually, I’m flying home to Ohio Saturday morning for spring break.”

“Well, are you up for a change of plans? I’d like to meet with you this afternoon to discuss the contract, and then you can get to know the rest of the guys in the group. We have them set up in a hotel for now until more permanent residences can be found. You should get along great with all of them.”

Blaine knows there’s a smile permanently attached to his face. “That would be wonderful, Will. Um, I have one more class from 12:30 until 1:45 and then I’m free, so I can meet with you around 2:30?”

“I’ll make it 3 so you don’t have to rush here. I’ll see you then, Blaine, okay?”

“Of course, thank you.” Once he hangs up, Blaine lets out a shrill scream that causes Tommy’s character to die and earns him a middle finger.

* * *

Just over twenty-four hours later, Blaine finds himself in the backseat of a black town car with Will Schuester. Everything has passed by in a blurry haze, from informing his parents and causing another rift with his father, to speaking to William Anderson’s attorney to make sure the contract was good for him, to treating Tina and Marley to dinner to break the news to them. After celebrating with the girls in Times Square, he returned to his dorm and explained to Tommy that he’d moved his flight home up a day and he’d be leaving late Friday morning. That morning was spent rushing to pack what he needed for a week--and seemingly more--in a hotel and waiting for Mr. Meyers to give his seal of approval on the contract. At noon, Blaine walked into Will’s office to sign the documents, which led him to right here, with June Dolloway’s private driver.

“You’re going to fit in great with the rest of the guys,” Will says as the driver weaves them through Midtown traffic. “They’re all as nice as they are talented.”

Blaine nods faintly. “Yeah, I bet.” He’s slightly apprehensive on meeting his bandmates. As much as the country has grown on the stance of the LGBT community, there’s nothing to say that he won’t come across a Small Town Joe that was raised to believe Blaine’s sexuality is a sin.

“These next few days are really going to be about you bonding with them. The kid you’re replacing, Matt...everyone thought he was a great fit, but he backed out after three days. So the rest of them have been hitting the town and enjoying themselves while waiting to meet the new number five.

“I’ve booked a tour of our recording studios for all of you on Wednesday,” Will continues. “This will give all of you a chance to become familiar with the equipment and soundboard--or, in your case, reinforce what you’ve been studying. We won’t be starting the actual recording process until April, this way we can get you working with vocal coaches, determine your full range, and acquire enough songs to record. Then we’ll prepare you for your first tour, as you’ll be opening for The Troubletones this summer, right as your first single and album drop.” He pats his hand on Blaine’s knee. “So what do you think?”

“Wow,” Blaine breathes out. “That’s a lot to take in.”

“And it’s only the beginning,” Will grins. The driver slows and pulls to a stop in front of a W Hotel. “Let’s get you checked into your temporary home,” Will adds as he opens the door and steps out. Blaine follows, taking in the view of the city from the sidewalk. He’s been used to everything on campus and the occasional Broadway trip, but the dozens of high-rises towering into the sky make him realize just how monumental this moment is for a kid from Ohio.

The driver unloads his suitcase and messenger bag to give them to Blaine. “Thank you,” Blaine says as he takes them. “I’m sorry I don’t have any money to tip you with.”

Will chuckles from behind him. “You don’t have to worry about that, June compensates him greatly already. You really are that courteous, aren’t you?”

Blaine flushes red, bowing his head. “I was raised on country club etiquette.”

“That’s always a good thing.”

Will leads Blaine into the sprawling lobby and up to the desk. “Hi,” he says to the clerk, “I’m checking Blaine Anderson in under the Dalton Records account.”

“Of course,” the receptionist, Ashley, smiles. “May I see your ID, Mr. Anderson?”

Blaine almost looks around for his father. “Oh! Of course!” he says after he realizes she’s speaking to him, and he pulls his wallet out for her. Ashley take a few minutes to enter in the necessary information, then hands it back to him. He’s then struck by a thought--this is going to be his life for the foreseeable future. Hotels night in and night out, viewing the country, and giving his musical passion to the masses.

Ashley completes the check-in process and slides an envelope with a key card across the desk. “Here is your room key, Mr. Anderson,” she says cheerfully. “The elevators are down to your left, and you’re on the fourteenth floor with the rest of the party. Enjoy your stay!”

“Thank you,” Blaine smiles as he takes the key. The step away towards the elevators and he can’t help but chuckle as he pulls the card out. “So I’m really on the thirteenth floor. That’s not an ominous sign or anything.”

“You’ll be fine,” Will says, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “I’m going to make sure the guys are around so they can meet you.”

“Yeah, okay.” All Blaine really wants to do is nap after the overwhelming day and a half he’s been through, but he figures being sociable with people he’s practically going to be around 24/7 is a good thing.

It apparently doesn’t take long for the callee to answer. “Hey, Finn, it’s Will. I have your guys’ fifth member here and checked in...Yeah, he signed the papers a couple hours ago...Well, I was hoping you guys were around so you could meet and get to know him...Great, we’re headed up. He’s staying on the same floor, I think the room next to Puck...Alright, see you in a few.” Will ends the call and pockets his phone. “They’re upstairs. Ready to meet them?”

“Sure.” They board an elevator heading up with some businessmen, and Blaine is startled by how quickly they zoom towards floor “14”. The dorm elevators take twice as long to get him to the fifth floor. They get off and leave the businessmen to head to the seventeenth floor, and Will leads Blaine down the dimly lit hallway.

“Alright,” Will says, stopping in front of the room Blaine has been issued. “You can go ahead and drop your things off first, in case you want to spend a few hours with them.”

“Of course.” Blaine runs the key through the card reader and waits for the green light to signal his ability to enter. He walks through the threshold to find a humongous room, larger than the one he shares with Tommy and his room at home. He stares in awe for a minute until Will clears his throat behind him. “Sorry,” Blaine mutters, and he goes about unpacking the wardrobe he brought with him and setting his laptop up on the desk.

When finished, he sits on the queen bed and sinks into the cloud-soft mattress. “Oh, my god,” he says, leaning back until his torso meets the bed. “I don’t think I ever want to leave here.”

“Well, we’ll have you set up in an apartment soon enough,” Will says. “Now come on, they’re waiting.”

Will leads Blaine across the hall and two rooms down, to 1419. He knocks on the door and waits. An extremely tall, yet friendly looking man opens it. “Hey,” he says as he holds a hand out for Blaine. “I’m Finn. You must be the new guy?”

“Blaine,” he nods, taking Finn’s hand to shake. “It’s great to meet you.”

“Same here. Come on in.” Finn steps aside to allow Blaine and Will to walk in. “We’ve been playing some Grand Theft Auto most of the afternoon. You a fan?”

“Er, not entirely. I’ll play on occasion with my roommate.”

“Cool.”

As soon as they enter the main section Blaine hears a familiar voice. “Dude, I knew you had to make it!” Sam jumps off the couch, across the other two--a scared-looking Asian kid and an intimidating guy with a mohawk--and slams into Blaine. “Welcome, man! How are you?”

“I’m great!” Blaine breathes a sigh of relief that he knows one of them. Maybe this won’t be as terrifying of an experience. “And hey, congratulations,” he says as he breaks the hug. “You deserved your spot so much.”

“You did, too! I still have no clue what that lady was smoking when she put you down, but at least her opinion didn’t matter in the end.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” Blaine looks over towards Will, who’s leaning against the wall with a sly look. “So this is it, huh?”

The Asian guy steps up behind Sam and smiles. “We certainly hope so. I’m Mike Chang.”

“Blaine Anderson.” They shake hands.

“And I’m Puck,” the mohawk guy adds from the couch, not turning his attention away from the Playstation.

“Puck? Like Shakespeare?”

Puck rolls his eyes. “It’s short for my last name--first name’s Noah, but nobody’s allowed to call me that except for my girl, and even that’s when she’s really pissed at me.”

“It’s, ah, nice to meet you.” Blaine looks to Sam, who only shrugs. He takes a seat at Finn’s desk and turns to the group. “So how long have you all been together?”

“Three weeks on Sunday,” Mike says. “It’s crazy. One day I was working with my students, and the next I’m here.”

“You’re a teacher? You don’t look that old.”

“Dance teacher,” he replies with a chuckle. “I’m only twenty-two, there’s no way I’d want to handle a bunch of kids for longer than an hour at a time. It actually pays for college, since my dad refused to as I wanted to go into dance.”

“I understand that one,” Blaine chuckles.

“Although some of us were heading down that path,” Finn chimes in.

Mike throws his hands up in surrender. “I didn’t mean to put you down, man. Your career path is awesome for you.”

“Thanks. So, Blaine, what were you doing before they called you?”

Blaine crosses his ankles as he eases into the conversation. “Going to class, pretty much. I’m studying music at NYU, so this has been quite the whirlwind experience.”

“That’s cool, man,” Puck says. He’s long since thrown the controller onto the coffee table and sprawled out on the couch. “So you from here? You know the hot clubs?”

“I’m only nineteen…”

Puck scoffs. “So? I got my first fake ID at fifteen.”

“Still, they aren’t really my scene. I’m from Ohio, and the most I ever did on weekends there was go bowling with my friends.”

Finn perks up. “Ohio? Really? What part?”

“Westerville,” Blaine says. “About twenty minutes or so from Columbus. You from there too?”

“Yeah, Lima. It’s somewhere between Toledo and Dayton. My brother always cringes whenever I ask him whether I need to go north or south on the highway to get to school.”

“I’m sure you’ll get it sooner or later.”

“Not likely. Once he moves out here and in with me, it’s going to be harder. I ended up on Sixth Street before when I wanted Sixth Avenue. Why would they give their streets the same name?”

“I don’t think I could answer that for you.” He isn’t sure what to think of Finn at the moment. He knew the difference from years of yearning to be in New York--it wasn’t that difficult to tell them apart. But his voice must be extraordinary to make up for the dimness he’s shown so far.

“Anyway,” Sam changes the subject, “Blaine, how’s your girlfriend handling the news?”

Blaine’s stomach drops through the floor. “W-what girlfriend?” he stammers.

“You know, that Asian girl that was with you at the audition.”

“Oh, Tina? She’s just a friend. We...aren’t all that compatible as a couple.”

“Impossible,” Puck says. “You’re a guy. She’s a girl. That’s compatibility right there?”

He knew he’d have to do this sooner or later, but fifteen minutes into meeting them? “Not if I’m gay,” Blaine says quietly.

Nobody says a word in response. His breathing sharpens and he stares at the interlocking triangle pattern on the carpet. Then Mike finally speaks up. “Looks like he schooled you, Puckerman.”

Puck laughs and throws a pillow across the room at Mike. “Look who’s talking, that means more ladies for the three of you. Shouldn’t you be celebrating?”

“Not all of us are neanderthals like you.”

“Dude, I’m sorry I assumed you two were together,” Sam replies as Mike and Puck continue arguing.

Blaine looks up at him with hopeful eyes. “None of you care?”

“Not at all,” Finn says. “My brother--he’s my stepbrother, actually, but we’ve always thought of ourselves as closer than that--he’s gay. You’d probably like him. He’s going to be out here for my birthday next month and then he’s moving here after the semester ends, if his dad agrees. Maybe you two can date or something!”

“Thanks, Finn, but you don’t need to set me up,” Blaine smiles.

“Can we move on to more important questions now?” Sam asks. “Who’s you’re favorite Avenger, Blaine?”

“Oh, easy, it’s Steve Rogers.”

“What? Come on, Tony rules all!”

“Nope. I’ll prove it to you when Winter Soldier comes out.”

“Oh, you’re on, man.”

Blaine grins. He can’t recall any time in his life where he so easily befriended a group like this, and the thought of spending months, if not years, with these four doesn’t worry him as much as it did before. “This is going to be a good time, isn’t it?” he asks.

“The best,” Sam says, patting him on the shoulder.


	3. Interlude 1: Finn

Finn waits as the ringing continues. He feels a little crazy to do this every Friday night, and since it’s the first night Blaine’s with them he doesn’t want to be rude and leave him hanging. But tradition is tradition, and Burt Hummel’s traditions do not change under any circumstance.

They’re worried about him, of course, his mom and Burt. The city is massive, and he’s one of nearly nine million. It’s one of the reasons he’s all but convinced Burt to allow Kurt to move out here after the semester ends (that and Kurt’s love of the city). Puck, Mike, Sam, and Blaine are all great, but he needs the familiarity only his younger brother can bring to the table.

They were never close when Finn was in high school--they barely even knew each other. Being two years older, Finn hardly paid attention to anything that went on off the football field. His pals always picked on the unique, and the day Kurt began his freshman year he became their favorite target. Something about him struck Finn as being so fragile that he didn’t know if Kurt was going to make it through four years. He took him under his wing, to an extent. The boys on the team could do what they wanted, but Finn would take care of Kurt’s precious wardrobe so it didn’t get ruined in the dumpsters or the restrooms. Soon enough, Kurt met and made friends of his own and began coming out of his shell. He even opened up about some of his insecurities to Finn, namely how lonely he felt after he came out.

Shortly before Finn graduated, his mother announced she was seeing someone new. It had been years since Carole had gone on a date, so he was excited to meet the man who brightened her life. Finding out it was Burt Hummel, though, shocked Finn. He never expected it to be the father of one of the loneliest kids in school and someone who seemingly viewed Finn Hudson as a bit of a hero. There were a few tense moments early on when Burt assumed Finn was against his son’s sexuality, but everything cleared up, and six months later Finn was beyond proud to begin calling Burt his stepfather, and Kurt, who became one of his closest confidants after everyone went off to college while he started at Allen County, the best younger brother he could ask for.

The line picks up and he hears Kurt’s voice. “Hello?”

“Hey, bro,” Finn says, smiling at hearing him.

“Hi, Finn.” He can picture Kurt settling onto one of the stools set up in front of the island so they can talk--since he’s come to New York and called, whomever answers usually gets into a great conversation before passing the receiver off to someone else. Last week’s phone call resulted in a 30-minute chat with Burt on the Buckeyes’ chances in the NCAA tournament. “How is the fair city doing?” Kurt asks.

“Wait, there’s a fair going on? Where?”

A brief chuckle lets Finn know he’s probably said something a little off the wall. “I mean how is everything out there,” Kurt corrects him. “Did it warm up enough for you to visit Ellis Island, at least?”

“Oh,” Finn says. “Everything’s good. And no, it didn’t get any warmer. They’re actually saying we might get a bit more snow on Monday.”

“Sounds like here. I swear this winter has been never-ending.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“But at least that will all be a distant memory by the time I’m out there.”

Finn lights up. “Did Burt say yes?”

“Not in so many words,” Kurt says, “but he seems to be getting really close to it.”

The news excites Finn more than he expected. Kurt’s goal when he graduated from high school was to attend one of the performing arts schools in the city and make a name for himself on Broadway. Then he was denied from NYADA, and that summer as he prepared to move and start his life in the city anyway, Burt suffered his second heart attack in less than two years. Kurt knew he needed to stay behind to care for his father and make sure he recovered completely, and his dreams went on the backburner. He’s been studying at the community college where Finn started, and he’s currently toying with the idea of declaring as a journalism major with the hopes of an acceptance letter to NYU arriving in the near future...if Burt’s overprotectiveness since his illness ever subsides.

“That’s great, Kurt,” Finn replies.

“Thank you.”

“What about for my birthday? Has he agreed to let you fly out for the weekend, at least?”

“The ticket is booked.”

“All right! That’s great. I can’t wait until you meet the guys, they’re all awesome.”

“I bet.” He hears the hesitancy in Kurt’s voice. He had very few true friends when he graduated, so he’s wary at the idea of meeting people, something Finn has always done his best to break him out of.

“No, but we met our new bandmate today, and I’m sure you’ll get along with him. His name’s Blaine, he’s from Ohio, and he’s gay. How perfect is that?”

Kurt doesn’t sound thrilled when he responds. “How perfect is what? Wait...don’t tell me you’re trying to set me up with him. Finn…”

“What?”

“I can’t believe you,” he sighs. “Why would you think that? Do you know anything else about him yet?”

Finn bites his lip. “He goes to NYU,” he says, “so he can help show you around to your classes and stuff.”

“That would be nice if I knew you guys wouldn’t be in, like Europe by then.”

“Kurt, I thought you’d be happy. Think about it. Once you get out here, you won’t have to worry about all those guys you hook up with at Scandals, they can--”

“Finn, please stay out of my sex life,” Kurt interrupts.

Finn deflates. All he wants is for his little brother to be happy. Adolescence was the sixth circle of hell for him, so someone doing a little work to brighten his days should be a good thing, right? “Okay, I’m sorry,” Finn says.

“Thank you,” Kurt replies, not sounding all that upset anymore. “I appreciate the effort you went to, but please don’t try to set me up with someone just because you know his sexuality. I’d like to make sure his persona is compatible with me first.”

“His person? Then what does that make him?”

Kurt lets out a chuckle. “Man, do I miss you. Anyway, your mom is begging for the phone so I guess I should hand it off. I’ll text you my flight itinerary before I go to bed, okay? I can’t wait to be out there with you.”

“Cool. I miss you too, bro. Have a good night.”

“You too,” Kurt says.

Finn flops back on his bed while he waits for the switch. He still believes he did the right thing in wanting to introduce Blaine to Kurt. Ohio isn’t the best place for gay people, let alone gay teens, so he’s certain there will be a common bond that can help them get along. It’s what he’d expect in that situation.

“Hi, sweetie,” Carole’s voice chirps through the line. “How have you been?”

He smiles and sits up. His mother has always known how to make him feel better even if she wasn’t aware he was hurting. “Great, Mom. How are you?”

“I’m hanging in there. Work was a little rough this week with a huge pileup on 75. Thankfully no one was killed. What about you, have you had fun this week?”

“Oh, yeah. Actually we met our fifth member today.”

“Excellent!” Carole says. “I hope he works out for you better than the first one.”

Finn overhears the commotion coming from Sam’s room next door, where the rest of the guys are hanging out. Blaine’s voice rings through with joy, hitting Finn with the sense of a true bond they’re all forming now, one that hadn’t been fulfilled when Matt left.

“You know, Mom, I think he’ll be just fine.”


	4. Chapter 3

The conference room down the hall from Dalton Records’ recording studio is warm, bright, and buzzing with anticipation. June, along with several of her top executives (including Sue Sylvester, who keeps glaring at Blaine) and friends from the biggest websites and blogs for music news, and the guys’ families, have been awaiting the official reveal of the label’s newest act. It’s a huge moment that, mere hours ago, nearly didn’t come to fruition.

“So,” Will said to them in his office, “are you ready to hear what your name will be?”

“Yeah, bring it on,” Puck exclaimed. Blaine nodded his head in agreement.

“Alright then.” Will stood up and moved towards a large, covered easel. “Gentlemen, it is my esteemed privilege to pronounce you as...the New Directions!” He pulls the sheet off to reveal a board with five headshots, the name blazing in red above them.

Blaine stared down at the floor. Next to him, Sam started snickering enough for Puck to join in. Finn was frozen in disbelief, and Mike looked back and forth to everyone. Nobody was willing to comment. “What do you guys think?” Will finally asked when the silence became unbearable.

“I don’t think that name is going to go over very well,” Blaine replied, shrugging his shoulders. He looked to Mike for backup.

“Yeah. New Directions makes us sound like a copycat, and I don’t think that’s how we want to make an impression to the public.”

“Wait, what do you mean?”

“Will,” Finn said, “you know who One Direction is, right?”

“Of course I do,” Will scoffed. “They’re the biggest boyband out right now. Three albums, millions of fans, world tours. That’s what we want from you.”

“Then why give us a name that sounds exactly like them?” Blaine asked. “People will hear that name and think we’re a parody, that we’re only trying to make a quick buck off of their success. We need a name that’s going to stand out and make them remember us, that will turn them into our listeners, then our fans. We won’t get anywhere as New Directions.”

Puck’s laughter grew stronger. “What the hell. That was not my thought when I heard the name.”

“And what did you think?” Will asked, crossing his arms and staring at him.

“It sounded like you said Nude Erections.”

Blaine lost it. “Oh my god, it really does,” he wheezed out through laughter. Mike was doubled over and hitting his leg.

Will sighed loudly to grab their attention back. “Okay, I get it, I’m sorry. But we’re going to brainstorm right now, all of us. The meeting this afternoon is the first major event for the five of you, and going out there without a name can spell disaster. If anyone can think of a more suitable name, then by all means blurt it out for the rest of us to give approval on.”

The office went silent as everyone contemplated names that would work. Occasionally a suggestion would be thrown out--usually a more lewd one from Puck--that would be turned down instantly. It was Finn, however, that gave the name that stuck.

Now, Blaine sits in front of the crowd in trepidation for what’s about to happen. Will’s statement about this being the first huge moment for them has stuck and riled up his anxiety. He glances out and is relieved to see Cooper and his mom in the crowd. While his father is still ambivalent about Blaine’s new path, Pam Anderson has always supported the endeavors of her two sons. She spots Blaine looking out and waves at him, and he waves back.

He then turns to the other side of the room and is awestruck. Chatting up a beautiful blonde--whom he knows from pictures is Puck’s long-term girlfriend, Quinn--is the most stunningly gorgeous man he’s ever seen. Sharp, model-like features and brown hair styled to perfection mixed with steel blue eyes that pierce through Blaine grace his head, and his shirt and blazer are tailored exquisitely as well. Blaine hopes there’s a chance after the announcement for him to greet him, maybe even get his number before things get even more hectic.

Will steps to the podium and clears his throat. “Ladies and gentlemen, on behalf of Ms. June Dolloway, I welcome you to Dalton Records today for a very special announcement. I am William Schuester, head of Talent Acquisition and manager of our latest act.

“Two and a half years ago, we pulled four beautiful, talented ladies off the streets to become one of the biggest sensations on American pop radio this decade. Brittany, Mercedes, Santana, and Sugar have revolutionized music as The Troubletones and have reinforced Dalton’s status as one of the leaders in the business. This winter, we embarked on a new search, this time looking for males willing to become this generation’s Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. And I hope you will embrace them the same way you have embraced The Troubletones.”

He motions for the boys to stand up. “Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to the five men who will take the country by storm. They are Blaine Anderson, Mike Chang, Sam Evans, Finn Hudson, and Noah Puckerman, collectively known as: Titan.”

The rousing applause tells the boys their new choice of group name works. Finn suggested it because it was his high school’s mascot, and as a former star quarterback he wanted to honor where he came from. It was Mike, however, who expanded it to stand for the ancient Greek gods of the country’s golden age. The name is strong, powerful, and will hopefully stick with listeners once their songs go out to radio.

As the noise dies down, Will continues on. “Titan is going to spend the next several months working to make sure their debut album will be the best they have to offer. They have already recorded two songs with several dozen more waiting in the wings, written by some of the greatest songwriters in the industry. Once finished, they will embark on their first national tour, as opening act for The Troubletones, where they will debut a few songs off of their album. And this fall, their debut will drop, and Dalton Records will once again show the industry that we are on top of the game. There has not been a successful American-based boy band since the Jonas Brothers, and we are hoping that Titan will turn the tides and compete with Britain’s top acts.”

As Will begins to accept questions from the media, Blaine looks over at the gorgeous boy, who seems to be staring intently at him now. Once the boy notices, he gets flustered and shyly turns away. Quinn giggles and brushes the boy’s shoulder. Soon the boy looks up again, and Blaine flashes him a smile. The boy smiles back and offers a small wave.

As the meeting ends, all Blaine wants is to meet the boy, but they have been asked to participate in their first photo call. It’s a little overwhelming as several photographers vie for everyone’s attention at once. At one point, Sam leans in and whispers, “Hate to break it to you, but I think the kid you were eyefucking the entire time just left.”

Blaine side-eyes Sam. “What the hell are you talking about?” he hisses, remaining still as flashes go off in front of them.

“Pretty sure you two were setting things on fire with those looks you exchanged.”

“You’re insane.”

“Gentlemen,” June calls out as she reaches them, “congratulations. You’ve survived your first public moments. May they all be as fruitful and uncontroversial as this one.”

“Thank you, June,” Finn says as he steps forward to hug her. The rest of them follow behind for their opportunity.

Blaine is the last to step forward, and June grins as she pulls him into her chest. “I should have fought harder for you at first, Blaine,” she says softly. “Your talent is beyond any words, and you were one of my final five.”

“It’s okay,” he says, smiling. “Sometimes things happen for reasons that we can’t explain, but I am so glad to be here.” He looks up and sees Pam and Cooper approaching. “June, I’d like to introduce you to my mother and older brother, Pam and Cooper. Mom, Coop, this is June Dolloway.”

Pam is awestruck as she shakes June’s hand. “Ms. Dolloway, it is such a pleasure. I remember dancing around to your older albums while my mom and I cleaned on weekends.”

“How charming,” June smiles. “What is your favorite?”

“Smile On, of course.”

Cooper leans into Blaine. “See what you started by doing this?”

“Let her fangirl,” Blaine smiles.

“Oh, she was doing that already. She said the guy with the mohawk is ‘absolutely hot’.”

Blaine glances around to find Puck, arm draped around Quinn, talking to his mom and another young man he remembers seeing near them. “She would.”

“You know, I think sometimes she wishes she were eighteen again. Getting pregnant with me took away a lot of her dreams.” Cooper pulls Blaine in for a hug. “I’m proud of you, squirt. Now, for your first interview, make sure you casually drop our relation into the conversation.”

He rolls his eyes and chuckles. “Never change, Coop.”

* * *

After dinner out with Pam and Cooper and showing them around his “new” home (the hotel, as he wouldn’t be moving into an apartment until the end of the month), Blaine sees them off to their own hotel before returning to his room to get ready for Finn’s birthday celebration. It’s just a small gathering at an 18-and-up club on the Lower East Side. Marley and Tina are coming to meet the guys, and he knows Quinn and a few other guests will be around.

He makes sure his outfit is on point. Maybe the bow tie--black with gold stars--is over the top, but he’s nowhere near ready to compromise his style if they ask him to. This isn’t an official appearance for Titan, it’s a new friend’s birthday party and a celebration of their hopefully lengthy future together. So the bow ties, polos, and cardigans will remain, even if he sticks out in the atmosphere.

Blaine is exiting the hotel to make his way to the club when he hears a voice. “Hey, wait up!” Mike calls out, jogging from the elevator banks through the lobby.

“I thought you all would be there already?” Blaine asks, smiling.

“I had to take care of some things beforehand. Finn, Sam, and Puck are already there. Wanna share a cab?”

“Oh, I was just going to walk there…”

“No, come on!” Mike steps up to the curb and starts signal for an empty taxi.

“It’s fine, it’s not that far away.”

Just as Blaine starts walking away Mike pulls him in. “What’s wrong?” he asks. “Did I do something to you?”

He shakes his head. “No, it’s not you. It’s just, you know, I’m a college student that can’t really afford to take a cab.”

Mike breathes a sigh of relief. “Okay, good,” he says.

“Why is that good?” Blaine questions.

“I just thought I said something I shouldn’t have and offended you. And if I have, I’m sorry. I’ve never been close with someone who’s gay, so it’s a new experience for me.”

Blaine begins to laugh hard, startling a couple walking past them. “You thought that was the reason why? Really?”

“I didn’t know, dude! I thought I pissed you off or something!”

He steps forward and places his arm around Mike’s shoulders. “Mike, you’re good. And trust me, I’d let you know if you said something offensive to me. All I ask is that you treat me as you would any other human being, because that’s all I am. My sexual preference doesn’t change any other part of me.”

“I know,” Mike smiles. “You’re a cool guy, and someone I’m glad to be becoming friends with.”

“Same with you,” Blaine says. He pats Mike’s shoulder as he pulls off of him. “So, we split the fare?”

“Of course.”

They find an empty cab within a minute and reach the club. They give their names to the bouncer who lets them in, much to the dismay of the patrons lined up awaiting their chance to get in. It’s loud inside; Blaine isn’t very keen on the nightlife scene since his first relationship ended, but he figures he can deal with it for the evening.

Blaine and Mike weave their way through crowds of girls and guys to the corner where they see Puck dancing extremely close to Quinn. “Dude, I think you might want to wait until you’re back at the hotel for some of these moves,” Blaine quips.

“Oh, no, not when my room is next door,” Mike says.

Puck rolls his eyes. “You’re just jealous I’ve got the hottest piece here. Q, this is Blaine and Mike, the two stragglers.”

Quinn flashes a brilliant smile. “Hello, boys,” she greets them, hugging each one. “It’s so wonderful to finally meet you. Puck basically can’t shut up about the group.”

“He can’t shut up about his beautiful lady, either,” Mike says. “But he couldn’t have described exactly how gorgeous you are.”

“Well, aren’t you such the charmer.” She turns to Blaine. “He’s treating you good, right?”

Blaine nods. “Better than my older brother.”

“Good. He had a bit of a streak when we were younger about people who were, for lack of a better word, alternative. I hoped his views had changed, especially after…” Quinn trails off and looks at Puck, who shakes his head. “Anyway, congratulations on the band,” she says.”

“Thank you,” Blaine replies. “I’m going to go grab a drink, do any of you want something.”

Puck holds up a tumbler of whiskey. “Not right now.”

“Alright. What about you, Mike?”

“Just a water for now. I’m not too much of a drinker.”

“Alright.” He shuffles off towards the bar, carefully dodging an already-drunk group of guys that have no sense of rhythm.

As Blaine waits for the bartender to acknowledge him, he feels a warm body to his left. “Ugh, she’s still slow?”

“Seems like it.” He turns and comes face to face with the boy that was at the press conference. “You’re here with Titan, aren’t you?”

The boy chuckles. “Probably not as ‘with’ them as you are.”

“True.” He holds out his hand. “My name’s Blaine.”

Soft skin meets Blaine’s palm, sending a tingle up his arm. “Kurt.”

Blaine raises an eyebrow. “You’re Finn’s brother, right?”

“Only by law,” Kurt jokes. “Nah, we’re close enough that we almost never consider ourselves stepbrothers. He’s done so much for me over the past five years--blood relation is just that. We’re best friends.”

“Sounds a lot better than the relationship I have with my own brother,” Blaine mutters.

“Oh? Are you not close?”

“Coop’s ten years older than me. You know, you’re enjoying everything about your childhood and your parents drop the bomb that they’re expecting again. We get along, but it’s always been a little strained.”

“Wow, I’m sorry,” Kurt says. He then raises his voice, “But not as sorry as the inept service we’re receiving here.”

It’s enough to get the bartender’s attention. “What?” she says with an annoyed clip.

“Can I get a virgin cosmo, please? And whatever this gentleman wants.”

Blaine shakes his head. “I’m just getting water for Mike and me.”

“Virgin cosmo and two waters,” Kurt says to the bartender.

As she sets two bottles on the bar, Blaine swipes them. “Thanks, Kurt, that was very generous of you.”

“Any time.” As Blaine begins to walk towards their party, Kurt reaches for him. “Wait, where are you going?”

“I’m going back to give Mike his bottle,” Blaine says.

“Wait for me?” Kurt asks. Blaine nods, receiving a smile that thoroughly melts him.

They return to the group, and he hands the water over to Mike. Kurt leans in and asks, “Want to see if there’s somewhere a bit quieter?”

“Sure,” he replies. As they walk away, he hears a catcall from Puck.

There’s a second floor to the club, mostly overlooking the centralized dance floor on the first, but the acoustics are much better. Kurt leads him to a table near the back. “So,” he says as he settles into the booth, “Finn says you’re from Ohio as well?”

Blaine nods before taking a swig of the water. “Born and raised.”

“My condolences,” Kurt teases. “I assume nowhere that’s near as backwards as our town is.”

He shrugs. “Suburban Columbus. Progressive, with some lingering douchebags.”

“Better than the douchebag majority of Lima, it sounds like.”

“Kind of. There was...a bit of trouble my freshman year. Enough that my parents nearly transferred me to the private school in town to get away from them.”

Kurt nods solemnly. “Been there, done that, wrote the book.”

The last thing Blaine wants to discuss right now is the bullying he endured, and he can tell it’s not the greatest subject for Kurt as well. “Finn says you’re hoping to move out here with him?” he asks.

It’s enough to bring the smile back to Kurt’s face. “Next month,” he says. “Once school is over, my dad and I are taking a long weekend to get everything of mine out here. I have my acceptance from NYU, and I can hopefully line up an internship or something to occupy me while you guys tour the world.”

“I don’t think we’re quite ready for the world yet,” Blaine grins. “And hey, if you ever want a more in-depth look at campus than what the guides give, I’d probably be able to fit you into my crazy schedule.”

“Oh? Did you go there?”

“I guess you can say that,” he sighs. He turned in his withdrawal forms two days ago, as there’s no way he can handle the end-of-semester stress on top of recording and rehearsals. Definitely a blow, and something his father is none too thrilled about, but he’s going to go through so much hands-on training he’d never have received in four years of studying.

“Then I’d be glad to ask for a tour,” Kurt says, smiling again.

Blaine returns the smile and reaches across for Kurt’s hand. He’s prepared to ask for Kurt’s phone number, as there is no way he can leave without it even if they’ll probably have more encounters in the coming weeks, when his phone vibrates in his pocket. “Great,” he mutters as he fishes it out.

Kurt raises an eyebrow. “You don’t sound too happy.”

“Oh, it’s fine. It’s actually my two college friends, Tina and Marley.” He swipes the screen to read Marley’s full text and replies that he’ll be down to greet them in a minute. “They haven’t met anyone other than Sam yet, so I invited them.”

“That’s good. I hope they enjoy everything.”

“Yeah, they will.”

As Blaine tries to slide his phone back into his pocket, Kurt reaches for his arm. “Wait, can I see that for a moment?”

“Um, sure,” Blaine nods. He gives it to Kurt, who goes in and presumably enters his contact information. “If you’re free on Sunday, you can call me about setting up a campus tour. Or we can meet for coffee, or lunch, or you can take me to every shop on Fifth.”

Blaine chuckles. “Is this your way of asking me on a date?”

“Maybe,” Kurt grins shyly. “I really haven’t dated anyone, so I don’t know exactly what the protocol is…”

“I’ll give you a call that morning,” Blaine says. “Who knows, if we meet early enough maybe we can get that all in?”

“Sounds good.” Kurt slides out of the booth, grabbing his barely-touched glass and Blaine’s empty bottle. Blaine follows him downstairs and they part so he can head up to the entrance to meet the girls.

Marley is already bouncing when he reaches them. “And who was that fine specimen you came downstairs with, hmm?”

He leans in to hug her, laughing. “He’s the stepbrother of one of my bandmates, and I only met him tonight so don’t start thinking anything else.”

“Man. First Tina meets a boy, now you. My friends are growing up!”

“Wait, Tina? Boy?” He looks at a blushing Tina.

“I ran into him at one of the demonstrations for Women of the 21st Century. He’s a film student in Brooklyn, and he’s so sweet.”

“I can’t wait to hear all about him.” Blaine links his arms through theirs and leads them towards the back of the club. “But first, I’m sure you’d like to meet the remainder of Titan…”


	5. Chapter 4

Before Blaine realizes it, it's June and they're set to depart on their first promotional tour in a few days. Everything has zoomed by in a blur of recording, dance rehearsals, sessions with fashion consultants (whom, thankfully, feel his unique style works to set him apart from the others and may spawn an adoration for bow ties in fans), and meetings with Will to determine their plan of attack to get Titan's name out there. Occasionally, he's been able to sit in with the producers and engineers to watch a session. Sitting in front of the sound boards has only served to reinforce Blaine's desired career path, even with this slight detour.

He's also formed intense bonds with the other guys. Sam has assumed the position of best friend, someone whom Blaine cannot believe has only been in his life for a few months. They've chosen to live in an apartment together--Puck and Mike have a place six blocks down, and Finn is living in Brooklyn with Kurt. Nearly every evening has consisted of a movie and chats about life before this whirlwind they're on. He's been able to chat with Sam's younger siblings over Skype, and he's fairly certain Stacey has a bit of a crush on him. Meanwhile, he's attended a few Yankees and Mets games with Finn--both being huge Reds fans, it's been a slight relief to watch better teams play--helped Puck decide on an anniversary gift to send to Quinn, and take in a dance gala at Lincoln Center with Mike. They’re as good of men as Blaine could have fathomed working with.

His only concern right now is where his relationship with Kurt stands--or really, the lack thereof. They’ve spent several evenings checking out shows in midtown, or viewing art exhibits, or attending an evening craft fair, but Kurt has yet to show any indication he views Blaine with any feelings beyond friendly. It’s disconcerting, especially as Titan is about to embark on a 4-week jaunt across the country, visiting malls to get their name out there before their tour with the ladies of The Troubletones. Blaine just wants a few answers before it’s time to go.

Tonight is another of their not-quite-a-date-dates. Dinner at an Italian bistro near Blaine and Sam’s place, then attending the revival of Funny Girl. The conversation during dinner is lively and jovial. They’ve moved on from the sadder aspects of growing up and are now discussing little anecdotes, like the time when Cooper forced Blaine to perform the entire choreography to Bye Bye Bye at their grandfather’s 75th birthday party.

“Oh, I hope there’s video of that moment,” Kurt eventually says as his laughter dissipates, fingers rubbing away the tears that have formed in his amusement.

Blaine takes a sip of his water and shakes his head. “If there is, I will make sure it’s destroyed before it ends up on social media.”

“Aw, why not? I’m sure the fans would love to see how you got your start oh so many years ago.” Kurt flashes him a smile. “Was this always your dream?”

“Being in a boyband? Nah, not really.”

“Why not?”

“I’ve never wanted to go the conventional route when it comes to fame,” Blaine says. “Cooper fell into stardom, even if he’s not quite on A-list levels yet--or J-list, for that matter. That’s why I was studying about the industry at NYU. Songwriting, producing, those are my dreams. I’d prefer to go the indie route and have those core fans who don’t expect anything but my best efforts even when the business asks for more.”

Kurt looks at him curiously. “So why did you try out for Titan?”

“Because Marley’s boyfriend was. That was the only reason. I thought hey, this could be a chance to network, get my name out so in a couple of years when I start looking for internships they might be able to remember me. I never expected to make it.”

Kurt smiles and reaches across the table for Blaine’s hand. “I’m glad you did,” he says softly. “You’re an incredible guy, Blaine. Finn thinks of you as another brother, which he never even had until four years ago. And getting to know you has been the best part of moving here to the city--and I’ve been planning this move since the first time I saw the Thanksgiving Day parade on tv.”

Blaine flushes at the compliment. Kurt’s always finding ways to talk him up, yet they haven’t had any progression in their relationship. “Kurt, um, can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” he nods.

“Are we--”

Before he can ask if they’re dating, the server interrupts. “Are you gentlemen all finished?” she asks. “We have an outstanding dessert menu, gelatos and tiramisu, and a scrumptious cheesecake if you’re interested.”

Kurt quickly pulls his hand away so she can gather their plates. “Normally you would have me at cheesecake,” he jokes, “but we have a show to get to, so we’ll take our check, please.”

“Sure thing,” she nods, slinking away with empty plates that once contained fettuccine and ravioli.

“Anyway,” Kurt segues, “what were you going to ask?”

Knowing the moment has passed, Blaine shakes him off. “It was nothing. I was going to see if you wanted dessert, but like you said, we can’t be late to the show.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize you wanted something else, I’m sorry! We can call Marissa back over and add something in.”

“No, it’s fine.”

Kurt pays for the entirety of their meal, which only pings Blaine’s mind to believe yet again that this could have been a date and isn’t. They catch a cab to the theater for the show, and Blaine spends three hours mesmerized by the performance. He’s seen the film, of course, and nobody could ever hold a candle to what Barbra did in it, but this Rachel girl who portrays Fanny is absolutely stellar. Blaine is entranced by her work, and he doesn’t hesitate for one second when it comes to giving her a standing ovation during the curtain call.

“Isn’t she fantastic?” Kurt asks him over the thundering applause.

“Outstanding,” Blaine replies. “I’m going to have to catch this again before we leave for Florida.”

Once Rachel and the cast have taken their final bows and the house lights come on, Kurt takes Blaine’s hand and leads him through the aisle towards the lobby and out the doors. Blaine tries to notice where they’re going, but the heat of Kurt’s hand sends sparks up his arm and straight to his heart. The tension is going to kill him sooner or later if he doesn’t do anything about it.

They end up stopping just as they get outside, with a small crowd gathering around the stage doors to meet the actors. “Do you really want to stay out here?” Blaine asks, pulling his blazer taut across his torso as the evening breeze picks up. “Are you really wanting to meet them so badly?”

“I need to say something to Rachel,” Kurt says, smiling. “She’s usually out within an hour, and this is a lighter crowd than the last time.”

Blaine chuckles. “Than the last time? Kurt Hummel, are you making a practice of standing by barriers to meet celebrities?”

“Oh, no. There’s actually an up-and-coming singing group that I’m hoping to get backstage access to.”

“Wow. I bet the connections you’ll need for that will be super high up the chain.”

“There are a few I’m planning to abuse,” Kurt smirks. His eyes sparkle, which melts Blaine yet again. “Think Puck and Mike would give me passes?”

“Oh, absolutely,” Blaine grins.

“That’s what I figured.”

“So are you going to come see us at some point then?”

Kurt nods. “I’m hoping for California, and probably your hometown visit.”

“Well, it’ll be Finn’s, too.”

“But you grew up in town, so more of your family will be there. My dad and Carole will be the only ones there for Finn.”

He almost mentions that it’s more than likely double the attendance that will be there for him. He had his friends in high school, but nobody he’s truthfully kept in touch with over the past year since graduation. And if Sebastian decides it’s worth his time to show up, that wouldn’t be a good thing.

“Yeah, Ohio will be fun,” Blaine ends up saying.

As people begin to crowd closer to the barricades, he draws himself into Kurt’s space. They don’t move, mindlessly chatting about things other than Titan until the first of the actors steps through the doors. From there it’s a blur of activity giving their congratulations to the cast as a few sign Playbills and pose for pictures. Paolo, the gentleman who stars as Nick, is more attractive than Blaine expected, and he’s grinning from ear to ear as he stares at his gorgeous face.

He’s interrupted when Rachel Berry, who started on the opposite end, steps up to them. “Kurt!” she exclaims, bounding over and reaching across the barricade to hug Kurt. “I didn’t realize you were coming tonight!”

“What, I’m supposed to tell you all of my plans now?” he jokes. “But no, I actually wanted to introduce you to someone. Rachel, this is Blaine Anderson.”

Rachel gives Blaine a once-over, then turns back to Kurt with an amused look. “As in _the_ Blaine?”

“Unless I meet someone else that goes by the same name.”

She offers her hand and smiles brightly. “It’s so wonderful to meet you, Blaine.”

“You too,” Blaine replies. “You were outstanding up there tonight.”

“Why, thank you so much. It’s scary, you know, being in my dream role at the tender age of twenty, but when I connect with an audience such as the one tonight it’s thrilling as well. I hear you’re about to experience the same thing?”

Blaine raises an eyebrow at Kurt--exactly how much does Rachel know about him? “Not the same, per se. My band and I are about to go on our first tour, though.”

“And you all will be fantastic,” she smiles. “I should move on. Blaine, it was nice meeting you. Kurt, call me later, okay?”

“Of course,” Kurt says. As she turns to the ladies on Kurt’s left, he takes Blaine’s hand and steps back. “I’ll walk you back to your apartment, okay?”

“Okay.”

The further away from the theater they stroll, the quieter it gets, and the louder Blaine’s mind screams at him. “So how does Rachel know you, let alone who I am?” he asks once they’re three blocks down.

“We came to a show the weekend I moved in,” Kurt says, “Finn and me. I told him he had to come or else, it was brotherly bonding. We did the stage doors after that show. I spent so much time gushing about everything while we waited that Finn never got a word in edge-wise, and I thought he was thoroughly bored the entire night. But once Rachel greeted us and I complimented her talent, Finn did the absolute most bone-headed thing I’ve seen from him...he gave her his phone number.”

“What?” Blaine laughs. “He didn’t!”

Kurt nods. “Oh, he did. And surprisingly, the following Monday, she called. They’ve been out a few times, and she’s come over for dinner. I don’t know exactly how serious they’re taking it right now, but it seems that both sides are quite smitten.”

“But she knows who I am?”

“Well, you’re Finn’s bandmate, of course she’s going to hear about you.” The way Kurt stares at the sidewalk, Blaine knows it probably isn’t Finn’s mouth that his name falls out of.

It’s now or never, he decides, and he takes a deep breath. “Kurt, what are we, exactly?”

Kurt stops walking and stares at Blaine. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, we’ve been spending a lot of time together. Dinners together, going to shows together, going to museums together…”

“Well, that’s what friends do, right? They do things together.”

“I just...it feels like we’ve crossed the friendship barrier, don’t you think?”

Kurt’s face is flat as a stone. “Blaine,” he says after a moment of silence, “I like you. You’re the first person outside of my family to make me feel like you believe I’m worth as much as I believe I am--and trust me, that’s quite a high number.

“But the thing is, I’m conflicted. Because you’re leaving. I’ve never been in a relationship before, and I can totally see that happening, but I don’t want my first boyfriend to be gone for months on end so I’ll never get a chance to see him, especially when thousands of girls are going to be dreaming of the same thing.”

“Kurt, I don’t care,” Blaine says. He takes Kurt’s hands in his and steps closer. “We can text each other, and Skype in the evenings, and when I come back here I will take you on the most fabulous dates you can imagine to make up for the time we aren’t together. And all those girls...god, Kurt, even if I had any interest in the opposite sex, none of them can hold a candle to how beautiful and wonderful of a person you are.”

He waits for Kurt to say something, but nothing comes. Instead, Kurt surges forward and his lips collide with Blaine’s. The kiss electrifies his entire body, and he pulls Kurt closer. This is more than a first kiss--it’s two hearts joining together to create a stronger force.

Too soon, Kurt pulls back, eyes wide and hair disheveled from where Blaine ran his fingers through it. “You take my breath away,” he finally breathes out.

Blaine smiles at him and runs a finger down Kurt’s cheek. “You do the same to me,” he whispers. “Be my boyfriend, please?”

“What will you tell people when they ask about your love life?”

“I’ll tell them I’m happy right where I am.” He’s already come to a conclusion on how to handle his sexuality with the public--gender neutral terms and vague references. Blaine’s been out for years and he’s not about to shut himself away to appease the public. “But if you want to stay a secret, I understand.”

Kurt smiles. “Ask me again.”

Blaine takes his hands. “Kurt Hummel, will you do me the honor of being my boyfriend?”

“Absolutely,” he replies, sealing his answer with another kiss.

* * *

Living on a tour bus is about thirty times less glamorous than Blaine expected.

For one, he’s living on it with four other guys. Sam’s been decent at cleaning things around their apartment, but put all of them together, and trash and dirty clothes constantly litter the lounge area--most coming from Finn, to which Kurt profusely apologizes and says he’s beyond used to it now. It almost makes Blaine yearn for the days living with Tommy.

The second issue is there is a severe lack of privacy, especially for someone who has recently found himself in a budding romance. There’s a particularly long drive from San Antonio to Phoenix overnight, and after calling Kurt, Blaine finds himself needing to take care of some rather personal business that he can’t with Mike lying in the bunk above him.

Puck, however, foregoes the decency, and receives four identical glares the morning after after a particularly loud call with Quinn one night.

And of course there’s the unspoken rule of the bus. “Trust me, don’t even think it,” Santana says matter-of-factly to them, “or the one who does it will have to clean it out.”

The Troubletones are one of the bright spots of the road. Brittany, Mercedes, Santana, and Sugar have taken Titan under their wings and shown them the ropes, helping them with soundchecks and meet and greets. Everyone else, from the roadies to the band to The Troubletones’ manager, Shelby, has gone above and beyond to help out as well. Two weeks into this tour, Blaine feels more comfortable and at ease with the routine than he expected.

The only drawback is nobody’s noticing--or so it seems.

Will’s using the tour to test out a number of songs under consideration for the album, with three or four in line to be released in August as Titan’s first single. But the reception for them at the first few shows was quite tepid. Blaine knows it’s because nobody knows who they are, but it’s still heartbreaking to put all his energy into forty-five minutes of performing to be left with a smattering of applause. It has grown as the tour has gone on, as videos pop up on Youtube and people are fascinated with the songs enough to share the links on social media.

San Francisco changes everything. After a long day of driving up from Los Angeles, they ate dinner with Mike’s parents the evening before and spent the morning before their show on their own. Blaine has found a friend in Santana, and she invited him to walk the Golden Gate Bridge with her. The morning has been cool, and Blaine shivers and pulls his cardigan down his hands.

“You know, Blaine, you’re going to have to learn how to prepare for all types of weather,” Santana scoffs as she looks back at him. She’s decked out in black capri leggings, a tank top, and a windbreaker, and it doesn’t look like she’s affected by the wind at all.

“It’s summer,” Blaine sighs. “Back home it’s in the 70s before the sun rises half the time.”

“Yeah, welcome to California, throw all your preconceived weather assumptions out.” Santana stops walking a few hundred feet later, and she leans against the railing, peering out at the bay underneath.

“Hey, you alright?” Blaine asks as he joins her.

“The last time I was here was two years ago, just after the group was formed,” she says. “My grandparents retired here a decade earlier. The heat in Miami was too much for my abuela to handle anymore. Abuelo, he passed just before I graduated from high school, and Mama’s always wanted to make sure she’s doing fine on her own. She flies out a couple times a year, but I’d never made the trip on my own.

“Anyway, I flew out here with the purpose of telling her some news I felt was important to give her in person. I wanted to let her know that I met someone that was really special to me, and I hoped she’d be proud. I had just turned twenty, so she felt it was time for me to start thinking about settling down--god, I’m not even ready to do that right now.” She runs a finger across her lower eyelid, careful to not smudge the liner. “We sat down for lunch, and I opened up. I said ‘Abuela, I’d like for you to come to New York to meet my girlfriend.’”

Blaine is taken aback. The last thing he expected was for Santana to come out to him. “Your what?” he asks. “You’re…”

“Just as flaming as you are,” she smirks through the building tears. “Not many people know, so if you leak one word about this, know I have razor blades hidden in my hair.”

“And what did she say?”

“She said, ‘Mija, I hope by girlfriend you mean someone you talk about boys with.’ And when I said no, she asked me to leave.” The tears run free, and Blaine reaches around to hug Santana until she pushes him away. “I’m not telling you this for sympathy, Anderson,” she quips. “I don’t open up to many people anymore, and that’s the reason why. But for some reason, your grandpa outfits and your puppy-dog eyes tell me I can trust you with anything. I may not have had the trouble you did, since I was older when I admitted it to myself, but it’s still there.”

Blaine only nods in understanding. Santana is still quite intimidating, and he isn’t willing to get on her bad side at all. He stares out at a flock of birds, soaring through and gliding their wings across the steely blue waters. After a few minutes, he breaks the silence. “Can I ask you something?”

“I guess.”

“Are you still with the girlfriend?”

Santana grins at him. “Every night. She’s my best friend.”

“Brittany?”

“Mmhmm.” Another beat of silence goes by. “How long have you and your boy been together?”

The mention of Kurt warms Blaine up. “I didn’t ask him out until right before we left for the tour.”

“Long distance, huh?” she asks. “Must be worth it to not be chasing all the single male groupies.”

“That’s not who I am in the first place,” Blaine chuckles.

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those people who won’t put out until you say the three words?”

“No,” he answers quickly, not even remotely wanting to reminisce on his first time with Sebastian. It was too fast to even be considered sex by others, and while he may have thought he was in love then, it’s a blip compared to his feelings for Kurt.

They watch for another few minutes until Santana takes Blaine’s hand and drags him away. “Come on, it’s almost noon and I need to freshen up before we hit the venue tonight.”

“Yeah, of course.”

They finish crossing the bridge and hail a cab to take them back to their hotel. As Blaine steps out, he sees three girls standing near the entrance--probably kicked out by security for trying to meet The Troubletones, as has happened a couple times already. A petite redhead looks at him and smiles. “You’re Blaine, aren’t you?”

“I am,” he replies, making his way to them. “What’s your name?”

“Allison. I…” She shyly holds out a photo of Titan, one from their very first shoot so they could have merchandise available at the shows. “Can I have your autograph? You’re my favorite.”

Blaine smiles and takes the photo and pen. “Of course you can, Allison!” He pops the cap off and writes just above his pixelated head ‘To Allison, Thanks for the love! Blaine Anderson’ “So you’ve heard of us?”

“Oh, yeah. Something Beautiful is the best song I’ve ever heard. Your voice is incredible.”

“Thank you so much, that’s one of my favorites that we sing.” He starts signing the identical pictures her friends, Rosie and Jenna, have on them. “Are you coming to the show tonight?”

“Of course!” Jenna exclaims. “We had tickets already because The Troubletones are the bomb, but you guys are even better.”

“You know, if this were any other group, I’d be offended,” Santana jokes from behind him. If Blaine hadn’t known any better, she probably wouldn’t be joking. “But I’m glad Titan’s opening for us. Five new awesome friends.”

Santana signs a separate picture for the girls. “Thanks for all the support, ladies. Enjoy the show tonight!”

Blaine nods. “And you will.”

“Wait!” Allison calls out. “Can I get a picture with you?”

“Yeah!” He waits as Allison hands her phone to Rosie to capture the moment, posing and smiling, then Santana steps in and takes one with all three girls on Jenna’s phone.  
They say their goodbyes to the girls and walk into the hotel lobby.

“Aw, baby’s first fangirl,” Santana teases. “How does it feel to be famous?”

“It feels awesome,” Blaine says. The rush is definitely overwhelming him, and he can’t wait to tell Kurt about the experience.


	6. Interlude 2: Sam

They’re in Minnesota--or maybe it’s Wisconsin. Sam lost track of their location long ago. Geography was never his strength in school. All he knows is they’re somewhere in the upper midwest, with Chicago and Columbus to come before the final stretch of the summer leg along the east coast. He’s a little down, though, because both dates mean meeting Puck’s family, and then both Blaine’s and Finn’s.

All he wants right now is to be able to hug Stevie and Stacey. Even after he moved to Nashville, it was simple enough to drive home for a weekend to see his family. It’s been since the end of February, when he received the call that changed his life, that he’s been in Knoxville. Sure, his dad came to the press conference that revealed Titan, but his mom stayed behind to watch his siblings. It sucks that he doesn’t get his hometown show like the others, and it’s even harder to know they can’t take the time to come to Ohio for a day without potentially missing their mortgage payment.

He strums a few chords out on his guitar. It’s become a bit of a habit for Sam to take some time to himself pre-show. Will’s been great about working with the venues to find a private space away from their dressing room that he can hide out in, to clear his mind before entertaining and winning over thousands of girls. Sometimes the tune is a happy one, other times it’s somber. Today is one of the latter.

A knock on the door startles him. Everyone in Titan knows to leave him alone until it’s time to go through their warmups. Sam lays his guitar against the arm of the couch and pads across the tiny room to the door, cracking it open to come face to face with Mercedes.

“Hey,” she says with a smile. “Can I come in?”

“Sure,” he nods, stepping aside and opening the door wider. She steps through the threshold and looks around. “Welcome to my pre-show sanctuary,” he jokes.

“It’s not the ambiance I request, but I can see it as your own.”

“Yeah, maybe it’s lacking a few of your vanilla candles.”

Mercedes laughs. Sam accidentally walked in on the girls weeks ago in Tampa, so he’s seen a few of the items they request on their riders. “They’re stress-relieving. Very helpful to find my center just before I go on stage.”

“Yeah, I’ve got something like that.” Sam nods towards his guitar.

“So I heard. Are you okay? That song you were playing was beautiful, but it was so…”

“Sad?”

“Yeah,” Mercedes nods. “If you want to talk about anything, I’m here for you, even if we aren’t that close.”

“It’s nothing, really.” He strolls to the couch, sitting down and cradling the guitar in his lap, as if he’s protecting the strings from rupturing.

Mercedes joins him, crossing her legs as she sits. “That’s not the look of nothing, Sam Evans.”

He sighs, dropping his head onto the back of the sofa. “You’re from the South, right?”

“Born and raised in Georgia,” she says.

“Yeah, Tennessee here. You close to your family?”

“I call my mom every Saturday morning and we gossip about everything. She’s my best friend.”

“I try to call mine. It’s crazy, I haven’t seen her, or my brother and sister, in close to six months.”

Sam turns and looks at Mercedes, and he’s struck by her beauty. He found her gorgeous from the moment he met The Troubletones--even before, watching their music videos--but now, with her undivided attention on him, there’s a calmness, a peacefulness to her that radiates through her skin. He can tell she isn’t thinking about what color lip gloss to have the makeup artist put on her tonight, or what shoes to wear tomorrow. She’s genuinely interested in what he has to say.

“Older or younger?” Mercedes asks.

“Younger,” he smiles. “Stevie’s ten, and Stacey will be nine next month.” He places the guitar on the floor against the wall and pulls his phone out of the pocket of his jeans. Swiping through, he pulls up a photo of the three of them from last Christmas. “Here they are,” Sam says as he hands the device over.

Mercedes grins at the screen. “You must be really protective of them,” she says.

“My family’s been through a lot. A few years ago...we had some struggles. Dad lost his job at an auto plant. Mom, she worked nights so one of them would always be around for the two of them, but a family of five on a waitress’ salary…” He trails off. “We ended up getting evicted from our apartment when we couldn’t get enough together for rent. Dad’s older sister was going through some alcohol problems at the time, and she offered to take us in. They said no, of course, not wanting Stevie or Stacey exposed to Aunt Candy on one of her bad nights. And our grandparents are in assisted living, so they couldn’t help either.”

“So what happened to you?”

“We ended up in a hotel--one of those ones that you pay for by the week. A family of five in one room...it wasn’t pretty. Once Dad found another job, working at Winn-Dixie, things started getting a little better, but money was still tight. It almost got to the point where I was going to offer to pawn off my guitar to get grocery money.”

“Sam…” Mercedes begins. “Really?”

He nods somberly. “I’d just turned sixteen. Most of my clothes were from Goodwill, let alone my siblings’ outfits and toys. My dream was always to sing and play for a living, but I thought at the time that there were more important things to worry about. I couldn’t work because my parents’ shifts began to overlap and I had to watch Stevie and Stacey, and I felt I should contribute more, you know?

“Our troubles didn’t last that much longer. By the end of summer, Dad found another manufacturing job that offered enough to get us into a house. The look on my mom’s face when he came home with that news...she fell to her knees and thanked God for pulling through for us. It was what we needed.”

“And praise Him for that,” Mercedes says.

“Absolutely,” Sam agrees. He knows Mercedes is outspoken about her faith and her desire to wait until marriage--quite the rarity in today’s sex-driven entertainment industry. He’s normally doesn’t discuss his beliefs much, but he knows she’ll understand it. “The kids got to start at a better elementary, I got an after-school job and saved up for a car, and we made it through. Maybe not rich, but we have each other.”

“And that’s all that matters.”

“Absolutely. They’re why I do this. I moved to Nashville last summer to catch any opportunity that I could, and then I drove to New York on a whim for this crazy audition. One day, I’m going to buy them an even better house, and start college funds for my brother and sister. And I won’t feel bummed about them not being able to see me perform because money’s tight.”

“They can come to Atlanta,” Mercedes says nonchalantly.

Sam stares at her in shock. “What?”

“On the next leg, we’re down there the day after Thanksgiving. It’s only like a three hour drive to Atlanta. Invite them and I’ll pay for their rooms.”

“Mercedes, why would you do that?” he questions. “You barely know me.”

“I know enough to know you’re a good guy, and you deserve to show them your new life,” she smiles.

“I...I don’t know how to repay you,” Sam says, flabbergasted.

“Come to church with me on Sunday, and that’ll be all the payment I ask.”

He chuckles. “I usually sleep in once we get to the hotel, but okay.”

“Good.” She glances at her watch. “I should let you get ready for your set,” she says, standing up.

Sam stands too. “Wait.” When Mercedes turns around, he pulls her into a tight embrace. “Thank you,” he says, fighting off the tears her deep generosity has caused.

“You’re welcome,” she replies. When they break apart, she gives Sam a small peck on his cheek--friendly, but still enough to make him think. “Break a leg tonight, Sam.”

“You too.” She leaves the room, closing the door behind her, and Sam collapses back onto the couch. He rubs his face a few times, making sure that what just happened was real and not one of his dreams. “Holy shit,” he says to himself.

A few minutes later there’s another knock. “Hey, dude, we’ve got thirty minutes,” Mike’s voice calls.

“Give me a second,” Sam yells. He makes sure he has his stuff, inhales deeply, and heads off to wardrobe and makeup. His energy tonight is tenfold normal, and he hopes it resonates into the best show of Titan’s short history.


	7. Chapter 5

Blaine nurses his Diet Coke from the booth, his eyes focused on Kurt dancing with Brittany just feet away.

Today has been a whirlwind of activity to celebrate the album release. An interview with Elvis Duran first thing, then they were shuttled off to perform on Live with Kelly and Michael, which led into appearances at Buzzfeed’s offices and the MTV studios, an impromptu mini-concert and meet and greet in Times Square, taping Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, and finally ending up at their release party. Blaine’s phone has been chiming nonstop with congratulations from people--his mom, Cooper, Tina, Marley, Ryder, Tina’s boyfriend Artie, even Tommy and a few people at NYU he maybe spoke with once.

The missing text is the one that overshadows those that showed up, though. It’s 10:30, which is generally his father’s bedtime, so there’s no use in hoping for anything to come now. Blaine doesn’t want to be that person drawing everyone down by dwelling on their jagged relationship. Instead, he escaped to this corner of the club once their photo credentials were met and the guys could break out and mingle with the patrons who showed up.

Santana arrives with a pair of drinks, sliding one across the table as she drops into the other bench. “You don’t look like the kind of guy who released his first album in the past twenty-four hours,” she says.

“I don’t really want to talk about it,” Blaine replies. He watches as Brittany twirls Kurt around with her hand.

“My old friend Grey Goose seems to think the opposite.”

He pushes the glass back in her direction. “Thanks, but I’m still only twenty.”

“And I would have expected Kurt to fuck that stick out of your ass by now.”

“My love life is none of your business, Santana,” he says curtly. “Besides, Kurt seems to be very taken at the moment by your own girlfriend.”

Santana glances out to the pair and smiles. Brittany catches her look and waves. “She’s been smitten with him since that double date we had. Something about how she’s always wanted a unicorn as her best friend and now she has one.” Blaine arches an eyebrow in confusion, to which Santana shrugs. “Don’t ask.”

“Alright then.”

Kurt ends up leading Brittany over to the table. She drops in next to Santana, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Honey, you should dance with Kurt, he’s so wonderful out there.”

Santana smiles at her girlfriend. “Maybe next time, doll. I’m sure he’d actually like to dance with his own boyfriend, however, so they can have some fun together before Blaine’s sulking hits Page Six.”

A hand creeps in to take Blaine’s. “As much as I hate to admit it, she’s right,” Kurt says. “Come on, tonight is for you, you should be enjoying it.”

“I am,” Blaine replies, less enthused than he really is. A stern glare from Santana makes him change his tone immediately. “But one dance probably won’t be so bad.”

They hit the floor just as a song ends and the DJ slides into Something Beautiful. It’s insane to hear his own voice booming through the sound system, with Mike’s background harmony highlighting the verse. They’ve already performed this on television four times in all, with two of them today, and more appearances slated in the next several weeks. The American Music Awards have not only invited them to sing this, but Titan is the proud owner of two nominations for their single. After that is taping Disney’s Christmas parade performance, and then going across the country on their one Saturday off from the tour to record for New Year’s Eve.

It’s a crazy life, but even with the disappointment of his father, Blaine’s loving every minute of it.

Kurt slides his hands up and down Blaine’s sides as they groove along to Puck’s voice. “It’s your dad, isn’t it?”

“How’d you guess?”

“I think I’ve gotten to understand you well enough to know where your moods come from.” The song segues into a Sam Smith ballad. Kurt pulls Blaine closer to him and they sway along to the beat, soft and gentle. “I don’t want you to think you’re a disappointment because he isn’t acknowledging your accomplishments,” Kurt says. “You’re far too amazing for him to properly come to terms with, and this is only the beginning. I’ve never met anyone as talented or as genuine as you. Sometimes I wonder how I got so lucky to have you, even, because you’re perfect.”

Blaine’s heart swells the more Kurt says. He knows he’s been on the cusp of it for the past several weeks as they’ve been able to spend more time together. Kurt--loving, full of empathy, everything Blaine ever imagined in a boyfriend--he’s found a permanent slot in there.

“I love you,” Blaine says.

He feels Kurt tense up, and he lifts his head to look at him. Kurt grins, his eyes shining under the multi-colored lights. “I love you, too.”

They don’t leave each other’s side the rest of the night. Even when Will steps up to the podium and calls for a toast to the boys of Titan, Kurt remains there, just as Quinn and Rachel do, to cheer them on.

It’s just after midnight when they head out. Sam says he’ll stay with Mike for the night since Puck’s heading to Quinn’s hotel, even though he looks a bit disheartened. Blaine knows Sam is holding a candle for Mercedes Jones, lead songstress of The Troubletones, but she is adamant in keeping their relationship professional. After he’s said goodbye to everyone, Blaine takes Kurt’s hand and they depart, catching a cab to his apartment where their night will certainly continue.

* * *

There’s a ringing that brings Blaine back to consciousness. He’s a bit dazed, trying to allow his mind to catch up to the moment, when a pair of warm, firm arms wrap tighter around his chest.

“Mm, make it stop,” Kurt mumble into the back of Blaine’s neck.

“I would if I knew what it was,” he replies, his voice hoarse with sleep.

The ringing ends just before Blaine realizes it’s his cell phone, still resting in the pocket of his pants that were haphazardly discarded in the throes of passion. As he settles back into Kurt’s embrace it commences again. Groaning, he slips out of his bed, padding over to his pants and pulling the phone out. “H’llo?” he answers without checking the screen.

“Blaine, it’s June Dolloway.”

“Oh, good morning, Ms. Dolloway.”

“Barely,” June says. “I’m guessing you had a good time last night?”

“The party was a blast. Thank you so much for throwing it.”

“You’re quite welcome. Anyway, I was wanting to get with you to discuss a...situation that has been brought to my attention.”

Blaine bites his lip and starts examining what he could have done wrong during this initial media circuit. He swears he’s stuck to the advice the coaches gave. “Um, sure. When were you wanting to meet?”

“Oh, let’s say in an hour? It’s 12 now, so be here at 1.”

“That’s fine.” It’s not fine. He needs to shower, dress, eat, and get to Dalton in that hour, but what else is he supposed to say? “I’ll see you then, ma’am.”

“Alright. Have a good day.”

He hangs up, tossing the phone onto his mattress. “Everything alright?” Kurt asks, now sitting up in bed.

“June wants to talk to me about something,” Blaine says. “I need to be there in an hour, so I guess offering to make brunch for you is out of the question now.”

Kurt grins. “That’s alright.” He stretches upward, skin taut over his firm muscles, and yawns. “I should probably at least show up for one of my classes today, anyway...but I really don’t know if I can make it home in time and then back downtown.”

“You can shower here,” Blaine suggests. “I promise Sam and I keep it clean. And then you could borrow something to wear, if you want. Unless you want to show up in a tailored waistcoat and tight pants.”

“Ooh, I have my choice of dozens of polos?” Kurt jokes.

“Well, if you keep that up, you might never get into my clothes again.” At Kurt’s fake gasp, Blaine laughs. “I’m going to take a quick shower and get ready. You’re welcome to stay here if you don’t want to go to class, I’ll just let Sam know.”

“No, that’s okay, I don’t want to impose on you anymore. Just the clothes, shampoo, bodywash, and toothpaste is all I need.”

“There’s an extra toothbrush in the drawer on the right of the sink, too. Not sure the toothpaste will be quite as effective without that.”

Blaine hurries to get ready, choosing jeans and a plain white button-down with a goldenrod bow tie. He kisses Kurt goodbye, half-tempted to stay behind and continue this.

He arrives at Dalton and gets to June’s office five minutes early, only to find Santana seated in the waiting area. “The hell are you doing here?” she asks.

“June wanted to meet with me about something,” he says as he takes the chair next to her. “You?”

“Same. It’s weird, though, she’s never asked to meet with me privately, it’s always been with the other girls.” The look on her face says she knows something’s up, though. In the months Blaine has known Santana, this is the softest she’s looked, as if she’s about to break. He’s tempted to wrap his arm around and comfort her if he was certain she wouldn’t rip it out of the socket.

The intercom on June’s secretary’s desk buzzes, and the lady, Tamara, picks up. “Yes, Ms. Dolloway...absolutely.” She hangs up the receiver and stares at them. “Mr. Anderson, Ms. Lopez, you can go on in.”

Blaine stands up and walks to the door separating June from them, opening it up and letting Santana enter first. “Your chivalry is nauseating,” Santana jokes.

“You’re welcome,” Blaine replies, smiling.

From her desk, June looks even more imposing. “Good afternoon,” she says in a flat voice. “Have a seat, you two, and we’ll get started.”

Santana immediately opens her mouth. “Ms. Dolloway, with all due respect, can we do this in private? I don’t need our Mr. Rodgers doppelganger to hear you chastising me over my tight dresses yet again, especially when he--”

“I prefer we do things my way, Santana,” June interrupts. “And, quite frankly, my concern today is one that does involve both of you.”

Blaine glances over to Santana nervously. “I’m sorry?”

June folds her hands on top of the dark oak desk. “Blaine,” she starts, “first off, I would like to express my sincerest apologies for not fighting harder to bring you into Titan the first time. You are an exquisite, one-of-a-kind talent, and your voice blends seamlessly on the album with your counterparts. A few of my colleagues, though, seem to think I should step down and leave them in charge, and they wish to go against everything I want from Dalton Records--which is the highest quality of talent we can discover.”

“Thank you, Ms. Dolloway,” Blaine says, grinning. To his right he can hear Santana mutter “Suck-up” under her breath.

“You’re very welcome,” June replies. “Unfortunately, there have been some...important matters that have been brought to my attention that, should they reach the public, can potentially bring about the downfall of Titan faster than you can say Milli Vanilli. Blaine, may I ask, are you currently in a relationship with Finn Hudson’s stepbrother?”

He nods. “Yes, ma’am, I am.”

“And how long has this been going on?”

“Since before our first tour.”

“I see.” She clicks her red lacquered nails on the desk. “How do you feel about him?”

“He’s one of the most amazing people I’ve ever met.”

“He isn’t fazed by the popularity, or the thousands of young ladies who dream about you?”

“Not at all, he actually finds them quite endearing.”

June doesn’t answer for a moment. “Blaine, I have no qualms about your sexuality. Who you are is who you are, and that cannot be changed. You are lucky to be in a generation where so many movements are being made to give you every right you should have. Frankly, if these had been done when I was your age, then my first marriage never would have happened,” she chuckles.

“However, there is one very large problem--Titan’s fanbase. If they were to discover your relationship, and how you identify, it could be disastrous. Many of these young girls will be heartbroken, and they’ll turn away from listening to the music, seeing the tours, and buying the merchandise. Without that, none of us would have jobs.”

Blaine gapes at her. If what he’s hearing is true. “Ms. Dolloway, you’re not asking me to break up with Kurt, are you?” he asks.

“Not entirely,” she replies. “You can date whomever you wish, as long as you don’t do it in the public eye. One misstep can cost everyone everything.”

Rage bubbles from inside as he grips the arms of his chair. “I’m sorry, but this is absurd. I’ve been out and proud since I was fourteen years old. Yes, I know being gay can be a hinderance in this industry, and my ex from high school could potentially go to the tabloids if he gave one shit about me anymore. I’m prepared for whatever happens, though.”

“You’re still a child, Mr. Anderson,” she states. “I’ve spent over six decades in this industry, and I’ve seen the fall of so many outstanding musicians the moment people got the slightest whiff of gay out of something that happened. And that is why I am asking you to, for the public’s sake, start a relationship with Santana.”

Blaine’s eyes bulge out of his head. “Excuse me?”

“Oh, hell no,” Santana adds. “Ms. Dolloway, you can’t be serious.”

“I’m completely serious,” June says. “Sources have confided in me that you and Ms. Pierce have been looking to move in together, correct?”

“Well, yeah, but--”

“And I have given the two of you this same talk that I’m giving Blaine right now, yet every few months I hear another blind item about two members of a girl group who seem to be close in multiple ways. This all stops now. The Troubletones and Titan have another tour coming up in under three weeks. What better way to get people out to the stadiums than to have a member of each group ‘dating’?”

“Unbelievable,” Santana mutters. “I’d understand better if you wanted me to hook up with Sam, but Blaine? He’s the exact opposite of any guy I dated when I thought I was straight--no offense, Blaine.”

“None taken,” he says, still slack-jawed and unable to put together a coherent sentence.

“Blaine, Santana, what you two do behind closed doors is none of my business. However, I need you two to cooperate or else there will be dire consequences.”

“Like what, throwing us out of the groups?”

“If I need to, yes,” June says.

Blaine feels his heart sink through his intestines. “But I don’t have to break up with Kurt?” he asks in a whisper.

June shakes her head. “No, you don’t, just as Santana doesn’t have to break up with Brittany. This is for everyone’s safety. Understand?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he nods.

She turns to Santana. “Are you on board, Ms. Lopez?”

Santana shrugs, her anger now indifference. “I guess.”

“Thank you. I’ll give you two a few days to let everyone know what’s happening, but by Saturday I’m expecting some social media from the two of you hinting at the relationship. Okay?” They both nod. “Okay. Have a good afternoon, you two.”

* * *

“Wait, she wants you to date a girl?” Finn asks. “Does she not understand what being gay means?”

Blaine grabs the salt shaker on the table and sprinkles a bit on his spaghetti. “No, she understands, but she’s worried about how some of our fans would react if they find out. You know when *NSYNC was around, there was always talk about whether or not Lance was gay, right? And he didn’t come out until years later.”

“Yeah, but like...you and Kurt, man.”

“Finn, while I appreciate your enthusiasm about my love life,” Kurt says, “it’s not entirely black and white. Bloggers are already onto you and Rachel, no matter how much you attempt to conceal your relationship. Blaine and I, though? If that were to leak, the media would discuss it for weeks. And we’re talking Fox News, not just the tabloids.”

“Oh.” Finn turns his nose up in disgust. “That’s not good.”

“Exactly,” Blaine says. Explaining the situation to Kurt was terrifying, even though he took it as well as he could. Breaking it to the rest of the guys is apparently the issue. He’s going to tell Sam when he gets home, and he’ll meet up with Puck and Mike sometime tomorrow. If Finn’s reaction is like this, he’s scared to see what the others will say.

“And you’re okay with this, bro?”

Kurt twirls a few noodles around his fork. “It was a shock to hear at first, but I see where June’s coming from. I don’t want to bring anything to Blaine that he doesn’t need to deal with. We both have the scars from high school, it’s only going to be more painful now.”

It’s moments like this, when Kurt is understanding, that reinforces Blaine’s love for him. Kurt’s anger at the news only lasted until Blaine told the whole story, and he agreed to step back and not have any official dates outside of their apartments for the time being. Granted, Blaine’s going to be spending most of the next two months on the road again, then heading to Europe after the New Year, so their time together will be extremely limited.

“Do you know how Santana’s girlfriend is taking it?” Kurt asks.

“Brittany’s a little--unique, shall I say,” Blaine replies. “She already texted me when I was on my way over here and asked if I was her new boyfriend, too.”

“Yeah, that sounds like her,” Finn says between scooping up mouthfuls of spaghetti. “But she’s bi, right? So she could date a guy without problems.”

“It’s not like they’re breaking up either, Finn. They’ll just have it easier because they’ll be spending twenty-four-seven together.”

Blaine knows Kurt isn’t meaning to sound bitter about it. It’s his main gripe--Santana has her girlfriend, but Blaine will rarely see his. All the time he and Santana will need to spend together to create their partnership, and she’ll go to bed every night with Brittany. If Blaine’s lucky and scores the single room for a few dates, he’ll potentially be able to get some phone sex in. If it isn’t too late for Kurt to be awake.

“Personally, I think it’s terrible to force two people into the closet like this,” Kurt says, “and hurt me by association. But I get it. Maybe soon enough your fanbase will be able to see the truth.”

“Why can’t they now?” Finn asks, still genuinely confused.

“Finn, as much as the world’s accepted the community, there’s still a lot of hatred out there,” Blaine says.

Kurt nods along. “You’re a prime example of growth and understanding. You went from helping the bullies to befriending me, even if through my own manipulative tasks. There’s still a lot of hatred out there, though. All of these states going to the Supreme Court to fight for marriage, numerous cases of violence and murder because of who someone loves...the issue isn’t gone by far.”

“Tons of gay figures in Hollywood still receive homophobic hate via social media, or even fan mail. This is saving me, even if it’s not the way I would have chosen.”

“Damn, that sucks,” Finn says. “We should do something about it, though. Something for the BLT community, to show that we care.”

Blaine gives a side-eyed glare to Finn. “BLT?”

“I’m pretty sure he means LGBT,” Kurt corrects.

“Yeah, that. Sorry I can’t remember the letters. What if we, like, give some of our ticket sales to a group in the city we’re in? That way you aren’t so invisible.”

Blaine grins. “I like that idea. We can run it past the other guys and Will after I tell them what’s happening, but I’m sure they’ll all be on board.”

“Cool,” Finn says. He drops his fork onto the empty plate, leans back in his chair, and pats his belly. “Man, Kurt, I haven’t had a meal that good since Mom visited.”

“I’m glad you were satisfied,” Kurt replies.

“Did you guys want to watch a movie or something? It’s still pretty early.”

“If Blaine wants to stay, sure. I’m going to do the dishes first, so probably in about fifteen minutes?”

Blaine stands up and picks his plate up. “Of course I’ll stay. I’ll help you out, even.”

Kurt smiles across the table before turning to Finn. “Nothing too scary, though. Don’t think I haven’t forgiven you for the debacle when you decided to get The Purge from Redbox.”

“Of course not.”

Finn departs for the living room while Kurt and Blaine start gathering the dishes up. “You won’t be jealous of my girlfriend, will you?” Blaine asks.

“Why should I?” Kurt scoffs. “Frankly, I’m jealous June hooked you up with her.”

“Really?”

“I have two eyes, Blaine. I can see how attractive Santana Lopez is, even if she’s the exact opposite of my type.”

“Oh, you have a type?” Blaine smirks.

“Mmhmm,” Kurt hums. “Tall, blond, built like The Rock, complete meathead who hates the arts.”

“I guess you’ll have to wait to find him, seeing as you’re stuck with me.”

“Damn,” Kurt jokes before leaning in for a kiss. “Then again, I love how compact you are. It suits you.”

“And it’s totally not because I’m an easy little spoon.”

“You were pretty easy last night.”

“I was high on love,” Blaine says. He wraps his free arm around Kurt as they take everything to the sink. “Maybe we should get these done so you can see how easy I am on a normal night.”

“I’ll take that as a promise,” Kurt replies, turning on the water and rinsing the first dish.


	8. Chapter 6

“96.3 KMPJ, your place for today’s greatest hits,” the DJ announces into the microphone. “Kitty Wilde here, and with me are the boys you’ve fallen in love with, Titan. They’re in town tonight, playing at the Pepsi Center with their good friends, The Troubletones. How are you, guys?”

“We’re great,” Finn, seated closest to Kitty, says.

“Your debut album, Hyperion, debuted last month at number two, and has remained in the top five ever since. And your first single, Something Beautiful, is one of our most requested songs every day. Are you surprised to see this kind of success right off the bat? What were your expectations for it?”

“They certainly weren’t this,” Mike chuckles. “You know, all thanks go to our manager and everyone at Dalton Records. Everyone has done such an incredible job working with us to get the best possible product out there, and to see the fans’ response...it’s truly overwhelming. We’re so blessed to have everyone out there; you’re all the best!”

Kitty nods along. “What has been the most difficult part of this journey?”

Sam takes the question. “I think having every single move of our scrutinized has taken some getting used to. My little brother and sister, they have friends who seemingly know what I had for dinner last night, which is insane.”

“And speaking of every move, Blaine…”

Blaine braces himself for the onslaught. “Yes?” he asks sweetly.

“You and Santana Lopez have got to be the most interesting couple I’ve seen lately. What attracted you to her?”

He bites his lip. Since the first photo Santana posted on Instagram with him, the fans and media have taken to their pairing in a way he never expected. They even have their own portmanteau--Blaintana, which irritates Santana that she isn’t listed first in it. It’s a shock to him, as he’s so new to the scene while she’s been around for so long, that people are genuinely interested in their “relationship”. Some are even speculating they were dating back in San Francisco, where they had their talk and bonded tighter.

“Santana is an amazing woman,” he says, starting into the story they’ve agreed on. “On the first leg of the tour we really spent a lot of time getting to know each other, finding out we had a lot in common...and it just built from there. She’s really special, and I feel extremely lucky to be with her.”

His hands ache to reach for his phone, to look at the pictures he’s taken of Kurt that are saved on there. Every time he talks about Santana, it hurts a little more. But considering the alternative...he can’t let June down this soon.

“And rumor has it there have been a few nights where you boarded the ladies’ bus, correct?”

Blaine chuckles. “On occasion I have, yeah.” It may be stirring the pot, but he’s genuinely bonded with each of The Troubletones and likes hanging out with them. Mercedes is no-nonsense, headstrong, and has incredible taste in music. Santana’s still the same as before, ruthless but caring. Brittany has taken to Blaine as her own boyfriend and suggesting threesomes despite everyone explaining to her that no, they aren’t really dating. And Sugar, a bit neglected by the fans because she rarely sings, loves to treat everyone, including Blaine, to some of her favorite, imported cookies from Italy that melt the second they enter someone’s mouth. Just the thought of them alone is enough reason to head to the next city on the girls’ bus.

“Is there any hope for another romantic collaboration with The Troubletones?” Kitty asks. Blaine glances down to the end where Sam’s seated, who shakes his head.

“I think Finn’s and my girlfriends would be opposed to that on our parts,” Puck says with a laugh. 

“We’re all good friends,” Sam adds. “If anything were to happen between one of us and one of them, they’d get everyone’s support just the same as Blaine and Santana have.”

“Alright,” Kitty says. “More with Titan in a few minutes. Meanwhile, here’s the lady who blocked them from getting the number one album in their first week, Taylor Swift, with Shake It Off.” She waits for the On Air sign to dim and removes her headset. “Seriously, guys, you are one of the best interviews I’ve had in a while. Thanks for doing this and not letting my reputation take over.”

“No problem,” Mike says on behalf of them. They heard heading into Denver that Kitty was a force to be reckoned with, but in reality she’s nothing but sweet. “We’ve gotten way used to coming in.”

He isn’t lying; every day for Titan has become a routine. Early wake-up calls, interviews with radio or television stations in the morning, visits to children’s hospitals or group homes to cheer up some of the less fortunate, getting a quick bite to eat in before being shuttled off to the arena, soundcheck, meet and greets with the fans who shelled out the money, more interviews, and then an hour of relaxation before it’s time to get ready and warm up. After they finish their set, Blaine sneaks out to watch The Troubletones perform--and not just from the “boyfriend’s” perspective, their set is phenomenal--then it’s backstage to meet the VIPs, a quick change, and off to the buses to head to the next city.

Contact with Kurt has dwindled over the weeks. Blaine isn’t surprised; long distance is hard, and he knows Kurt is in the thick of his schoolwork. They haven’t been able to Skype anywhere near the amount they did over the summer. Luckily, Kurt has befriended Tina, Marley, and Artie, and they regularly hang out in the city, or he spends Sunday evenings catching up on television with Rachel, as they’ve bonded over mutual likes. Sometimes when Blaine boards the bus it’s already past midnight in the time zone they’re in, which means it’s even later in New York, and he doesn’t want to disturb Kurt’s sleep.

Kitty winds the interview down when they come back, and then poses with them for some pictures to post online. “I’ll see you at the show, okay?”

“See you,” they wave as they head out of the studio and on to their next stop.

Blaine finally gets a moment to text Kurt on the bus. _Thinking of you, miss you, love you._ Titan continues with their itinerary, entertaining the most adorable kids at the hospital with a few songs and earning more love. Blaine catches the eye of one of the boys, Nate, who blushes and turns away whenever they make eye contact. It stings, how much he wants to reach out and tell Nate it’s okay.

There’s no reply when they board the bus again--or after soundcheck.

Santana notices he’s down and shows up to Titan’s dressing room with cookies. “You look like you need a pick me up,” she says, handing him the plateful.

“Thanks,” he replies, turning away to keep Puck from taking the goodies. “It’s been a rough day, I think.”

“Oh? Need some Auntie Snix time?”

He grins at her compassion. Santana’s tough bitch act drops the moment she senses a need for advice. “Sure, why not? I think you’d probably be the best person to talk to anyway.”

“I see.” She links her arm through his and leads him out of the room. “We can’t hang in our dressing room, Sugar’s boytoy in Ireland decided to stay up all night so they could talk this evening, and it might make me vomit for real.” They head to the end of the hallway and she opens the door and promptly screams. “¿Que coño?”

Blaine peers over his shoulder and discovers Sam and Mercedes, connected at the mouth. “What the fuck,” he says.

“That’s literally what I just said, shorty.”

Mercedes pulls away sheepishly and looks at them. “Guys, we can explain…”

“Explain what? That you were doing examinations the ENT forgot to?” Santana asks. “How long has this been going on?”

Sam looks at Mercedes. “A couple days,” he answers.

“It’s been building up over the last few months,” Mercedes adds. “Obviously we don’t really want to say anything on the heels of the two of you--”

“No matter how not together you are, of course.”

“And it’s still really new that we want to take it slow.”

“Very slow. Molasses slow, even.”

Mercedes lightly swaps at Sam’s shoulder. “Don’t tell the others yet, okay? We want to hold off and make sure this is what we really want.”

“Of course not,” Blaine replies. “So is this why you didn’t want to answer the hookup question today?”

Sam flushes red. “Kinda?”

“Okay, that’s it, Sugar and Rory can’t be any more nauseating than this,” Santana says, rolling her eyes. “Sam, break her heart and I break your legs. Both of them. Don’t underestimate my power.”

“Gotcha,” he says, unsure if she’s joking or not--which Blaine isn’t either.

“But I’m happy for you,” she adds. “Mercedes is my girl, and she deserves someone who can love her. And you’re Blaine’s bestie, so there must be something okay about you past your freakishly large lips. So I’m good with it.”

“Thanks, Santana,” Mercedes smiles. She reaches across the sofa and takes Sam’s hand.

“I feel the same way,” Blaine says. “Except for the threats of violence if you happen to break up.”

“Oh, you can break my legs too, I know your boxing history,” Sam jokes.

“So, shall we find another room,” Santana asks him, “or do you want to wait until after the show?”

Blaine looks at his watch and notices it’s a little close to showtime. “We can wait until the bus,” he says. “Come to ours?”

“Sure.”

The show goes on, Titan and The Troubletones wow the entirety of Colorado, and when Blaine fishes his phone out after he finishes the late meet and greet he sees the reply Kurt sent.

_Sorry, I left my phone at home all day and had to finish up an article for the journal. Hope you’re killing it on stage tonight! Miss you and love you more._

Blaine feels better instantly.

* * *

Los Angeles is interesting. Blaine’s visited before, of course, right after Cooper moved out here, and then during the summer leg of the tour. The people are nothing like those he’s used to in New York, let alone those in central Ohio. He thinks it’s the perpetual sunshine that makes them happier--or, at least April, the stylist working with him for the American Music Awards.

“Aright, compact cutie,” she slurs out, “let’s get you a suit to wow the red carpet. What did you have in mind?”

“I’m not really sure,” he says. Santana’s already shown him photos of the slinky red gown she’s picked out, as they have to arrive together for appearances. “I’m guessing a simple black suit? Nothing that will clash with what my girlfriend is wearing.”

“Girlfriend, yeah,” she snickers. “Honey, you keep telling yourself that.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Honey, people can see the rainbow radiating off of you. You don’t have to hide, you know.”

“Actually, I do,” he grumbles, “and my sexual identity is none of your business.”

“Don’t you think you’ll be happier?” April asks.

“My happiness is just fine, thank you.” Thankfully she drops the conversation and begins pulling out designer suits for Blaine to try on. After seemingly dozens of styles are pulled out, he settles on a slim-cut Tom Ford suit with a silk bow tie that has silver threads woven through for an added pop. Before April asks him to take it off, he takes a picture of it to send to Kurt.

A reply comes moments after he switches places with Finn and sits down in the waiting area. _Wow, that’s destined for best dressed!_

 _You sure?_ Blaine types back.

_Absolutely. Doesn’t look like the seamstress needs to make many alterations, either._

_Nope, just a bit of hemming to the sleeves and pants. It fits perfectly otherwise._

_My boyfriend’s first awards show. Can’t wait to see you on the red carpet!_

_I know. You should see what Santana’s wearing, too. It’s stunning._

He sees the typing bubble pop up and disappear three times. _Can we not talk about her for one day?_ Kurt finally sends.

 _I’m sorry._ Blaine replies. _I have to go with her, it’ll look wrong if we don’t._

Within thirty seconds of sending the text, the screen changes to highlight an incoming call. “Hey, you,” he answers.

“Look, Blaine, I know you’re stuck with her, and you spend so much time with her. But I’d like a break from hearing about your fake girlfriend.”

He steps away from the other guys--Puck’s leering at a bridal magazine for some reason, Mike is distracted by some game on his cell, and Sam is entertaining himself with one of the mannequins--for some privacy. “I don’t talk about her all the time.”

“Sure,” Kurt scoffs. “It’s always Santana took me to this cafe, or Santana lent me her Tove Lo CD to listen to, or I need to help Santana find a birthday present for Brittany. Every single time we talk, if you aren’t going on about how incredible touring is.”

Blaine is incredulous. “What do you want me to do, Kurt? I’ve spent the last month thousands of miles away from you, and she’s become one of my best friends.”

“Sam is one of your best friends, too, yet I never hear you utter a peep of what he’s up to.”

He opens his mouth to reply until he realizes it’s impossible. Sam has been a little more vocal with the guys about his relationship with Mercedes, even though they’re refraining from going public until things are calmer for both groups. And because of that, he’s been spending more time on the girls’ bus while they travel. Blaine doesn’t think they’ve had a proper conversation about anything not tour-related in two weeks.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Kurt says after Blaine’s silence runs long. “If you want to admit your feelings for her…”

“My feelings?” he cuts in. “The only person I have feelings for is you, Kurt, and you should know that.”

“Then act like it. Ask me how my day was.”

“Fine. How was your day?”

“Great, until my boyfriend ruined it.”

“Kurt…”

“Don’t. You’re only placating me.”

“I’m not,” Blaine says. “I miss you and I want to hear about your life.”

“Maybe later,” Kurt sighs. “I have to head back out for a study group in twenty minutes. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Okay, love you.”

“Mmhmm,” is the only reply he receives before the line goes dead. Blaine sighs and leans back against the wall, unsure of what just happened.

Two days later he’s in a limo headed for the Nokia Theater with Finn, Sam, Mike, Puck, and Will. The Troubletones are in a separate limo, so Blaine will meet Santana there and walk the red carpet with her. He wishes he could be anywhere else, though. He hasn’t heard a word since Kurt hung up on him. They’re flying to Florida in the morning to do a show in Tampa on Tuesday before spending the Thanksgiving holiday being hosted by Mercedes’ parents in Atlanta. The plan has been for Kurt to fly in Wednesday night after his final class, their first moments together in a month.

“Okay, here’s the game plan,” Will says to them. “We’ll show up and do a few poses at the beginning of the red carpet, and then Blaine will stay behind to wait for The Troubletones while the rest of you head for the interviewers. Most of the questions are going to be generic, how do you feel about your nominations, how has your life changed kinds of things. Blaine, obviously your questions may be geared more towards you and Santana, so I hope you’ve corroborated on answers. Finally, this is your first major, major appearance. It’s not just a morning talk show, this is prime time television, with millions of viewers. You’re going to be representing me, June, and everyone at Dalton Records, and anything that’s even a hair out of line can come with repercussions. Understood?”

“Got it, chief,” Puck replies with a mock salute.

Blaine sits back once they arrive at the dropoff location and everyone scrambles out of the limo. It’s only a few minutes before his phone chimes and he sees a message.

_Showtime, sweetheart ;)_

He rolls his eyes at Santana’s emoticon, pockets the phone inside his jacket, and opens the door to step out. The Troubletones are gathered a few cars down, straightening their gowns after the ride. Shelby smiles as he walks forward. “Your lady awaits you, Mr. Anderson,” she says.

“Thank you, Ms. Corcoran,” he replies.

Sugar leans in and whispers to him, “I have protection if you need it.”

 

He doesn’t know how to respond, so Santana pulls him away. “Ignore her. I was talking about how it’s been so long since I’ve been out physically with a guy that she kept asking if I would give you a blowjob.”

“I see.” He holds his elbow out for her to link her arm through. “Shall we do this?”

“Let’s give them hell,” she says. “You look amazing, by the way, like you should be on the red carpet at the Oscars.”

“We both could be after our acting tonight,” Blaine jokes. He steps forward, careful not to hit the hem of Santana’s long, crimson gown, and they start their walk through the myriad of fans and reporters.

It isn’t as difficult as he expects. They pose for photos, making sure they’re touching and making eye contact just enough to send couple-like vibes to everyone who will see it, but not making it overkill. Santana is a natural on the red carpet, and she handles their interviews with enough grace and a sprinkling of her attitude. It’s when they reach the final reporter, a young blogger named Jacob ben Israel, that things almost fall apart.

“Ah, Blaine Anderson from Titan and Santana Lopez from The Troubletones, so good to see you. How are you tonight?”

“We’re great,” Blaine says smiling.

“Both of your groups are nominated for awards tonight, and you’re in the middle of a crazy world tour. Is there a battle between the two of you as to who gets more recognition?”

“Absolutely not,” Santana replies. “Our groups share similar backstories, we share the same label, and of course we’re going to have a huge overlap in fanbases. So many people who’ve followed The Troubletones throughout our first two albums are loving what these boys have done--as have I. Titan is beyond deserving of their success.”

“So no breakup if one wins and the other doesn’t?”

Blaine chuckles. “Not quite. It would be pretty awkward for the rest of our tour, anyway. We still have three weeks on the road, a break for the holidays, and then we’re all off to Europe for six weeks.”

Jacob nods and pushes his too-large glasses up his nose. “Blaine, there have been rampant rumors in the past that say Santana and her groupmate, Brittany Pierce, have had relations. How do you feel about that?”

Santana’s grip tightens to the point Blaine is afraid his hand will fall off. “Brittany is Santana’s best friend,” he says. “If they’re true, so what? I’m not going to judge what Santana did before we started dating, that’s not my place. And if anyone is bothered by a simple rumor, they should take a look at why and figure out how to fix that notion that it’s wrong.”

Jacob is stunned. “Okay, well, thank you, and good luck to your groups tonight.”

As they walk away, Santana starts muttering, “Fucking mop-headed geek, did he seriously need to go there?”

“Are you okay?” Blaine asks.

She finally lets the smile that has been plastered on for the entire walk drop. “He only wanted to out me, Blaine. He’s not a reporter, he’s Perez Hilton with less tact. And if it hadn’t been me, he would’ve been coming after you and finding pictures with Kurt, or with your high school boyfriend. By the way, you’re lucky he hasn’t tried to sabotage you yet.”

“Sebastian?” he scoffs. “I haven’t spoken to him since graduation, and with the number of guys he slept with while we dated I wouldn’t be surprised if he forgot my name.”

“Whatever, we should get inside.”

Ushers guide Blaine and Santana to their seats. They’ve been placed over two rows--Puck, Mike, Sam, Sugar, and Brittany in front, Finn, Blaine, Santana, and Mercedes behind them. “It’s because they want a moment if one of us wins,” she whispers to him when he questions it.

Best New Artist is one of the first awards given out, so they don’t have to wait long for a potential moment. Blaine can feel his stomach tighten as they read the nominees. Then the latest Hollywood It Girl at the podium starts to speak. “And the winner of the American Music Award for Best New Artist is...Titan!”

They’re all out of their seats within half a second, but before Blaine can walk down the aisle towards the stage Santana pulls him in for a kiss. “Congratulations, you!” she says, wiping the lipstick remnants off his mouth.

“You wanted that moment, huh?” he says, grinning. He joins the others as they climb the steps up to the stage and hug the actress.

Mike takes the award and steps up to the podium first. “This is insane, you guys. I don’t think when we came together back in February and March that we expected success so soon. Thank you, everyone.”

Blaine steps forward and continues. “We want to thank the amazing June Dolloway, our manager, Will Schuester, everyone at Dalton Records who have been so hardworking and accommodating to our success. Our families, who’ve stuck by us even when we can’t call for weeks at a time.

“And to my love,” he adds, staring out at Santana even though the message isn’t for her, “I want to say how much I wish you were up here right now with me. You’re truly the best.”

Puck comes in. “My mom, my sister, my half-brother, my girlfriend, you’re all the greatest and I miss you.”

“And also to all our fans,” Finn says. “Thanks for supporting us.” Music starts playing and they’re soon escorted off-stage for a few more interviews before they have to prepare for their performance of their next single, By Your Side.

Blaine doesn’t get a chance to check the congratulatory messages on his phone until he’s at the after party. In between the texts from his mom, brother, Tina, and Marley, there’s a voice mail from Kurt.

“Hi, Blaine,” he starts. “Congratulations on your award tonight. I knew from the start Titan was bound for stardom, and now you’ve proven it.

“I...I know this is the worst thing and I shouldn’t say it this way, but...I don’t think we’re working out the way either of us want to. When you’re in New York, it’s amazing and I feel so loved by you. But those days are few and far between, and with everything with Santana...I don’t know, Blaine. It hurts. I thought I could handle the long distance, especially under the radar...I know now that isn’t the case. I need to be with someone that I can be with when I want.

“I love you, Blaine, and I wish you the best of luck. I’ll see you around.”

The automated voice asks Blaine how to handle the message, and he repeats it. He thought he was imagining things on the first listen. Upon the second time, he hears the heartbreak in Kurt’s voice and feels his heart collapse. He runs out of the ballroom to the hallway, collapsing in a chair and letting go. “No, this isn’t happening,” he keeps repeating to himself.

Santana finds him a while later. “There you are, I wanted to introduce you to Chris Pratt and--wait, what’s up?”

He looks up at her through glassy eyes. “Kurt broke up with me,” he chokes out.

“What?” She pulls him out of the chair and into her arms, which makes him sob harder. “Honey, I’m so sorry. Do you need anything?”

“No,” Blaine shakes his head. “Other than him, no.”

“I’m going to call a taxi then,” she says. “We’ll go back to the hotel and cry it out, and then tomorrow when we get to Florida we can go the biggest bowl of ice cream.”

He sniffles and looks up at her. “You serious?”

“Of course,” she replies. “Britt and I had plans, but she’ll understand.”

“Santana, you don’t have to break a date with your girlfriend for me.”

“Why? Because I want my boyfriend to feel better?” Santana smiles softly. “Come on, let’s go.”

Blaine follows her out of the lobby where she hails a cab immediately. She helps him get in before climbing in and ensuring her dress doesn’t get caught. And he realizes that even through everything with their arrangement, he’s gained someone special.


	9. Chapter 7

Despite the massive quantity of food Mercedes’ family cooked for everyone, Blaine has little appetite on Thanksgiving.

He plays off that he’s coming down with a bug. Will suggests he go to the doctor first thing in the morning to get checked out so he doesn’t have to miss the concert. Blaine says he’ll consider it, then he excuses himself with two slices of turkey, potatoes, greens, and dressing still loaded on his plate.

Word hasn’t gotten out about him and Kurt. Brittany knows--she ended up going with Blaine and Santana on their ice cream date and lent him her stuffed cat to sleep with. Finn knows as well, since he’s Kurt’s stepbrother. He gave Blaine a long hug Tuesday morning and expressed his sympathies.

He wants to text Kurt happy Thanksgiving, but he can’t bring himself to even look at their past messages on his phone. A call to Tina on Wednesday confirmed to him that it was something Kurt had been considering for a while, from when Titan left for this leg of the tour. Blaine doesn’t think he’s ever hurt as much as he does now. For a while he’d been picturing a future with Kurt, filled with marriage and kids. Apparently the same couldn’t have been said for Kurt.

He paces through the hotel to his room, taking the stairs so as not to run into any fans who could be in town early. Once he reaches the door, he slides inside, locks everything behind him, and strips down to shower. The steam refreshes him, but does little to his mindset. Once he’s out and dried off, he pulls a pair of flannel pants on and crawls into bed, turning the television on to find something to entertain him.

In the middle of Anchorman, Blaine’s phone rings. He scrambles to pick it up without looking at the caller ID. “Hello?”

“Hi, sweetheart,” his mother’s voice greets him. “Happy Thanksgiving.”

A small, pained smile breaks through. “Hi, Mom, happy Thanksgiving to you, too. How was dinner?”

“Oh, the same as always. Your grandmother tries some new recipe nobody can stand, your dad and Aunt Sheila fight over who’s turn it is to clean up, and Uncle Mark and I wonder how we even married into this family.”

“Anderson holiday traditions never fail.”

“That they don’t. How’s Atlanta? Did you at least get a good meal?”

“Oh, yeah,” he lies. “Mercedes’ parents rented out one of the ballrooms and cooked for all of us so we’d have some sense of home. Grandma’s vegan gravy recipe from two years ago has been wiped from my memory.”

“Blaine, are you sure everything’s alright?” Pam asks. Of course she can read through him. “You don’t sound like your usual cheerful self.”

“I’m not, Mom. Kurt broke up with me.”

“Oh, no, sweetheart, why? What happened?”

“Nothing,” Blaine says, turning the television off just as the news team fight is beginning. “I mean, really, nothing happened. The stress of me not being around was becoming too much, and he called me after the AMA’s to break it off.”

“He broke up with you over the phone? Oh, Blaine…”

“I know what you’re going to say, Mom, but when else should he have done it? When I’m back in New York? That would probably be worse if he held out for so long and made me think everything was fine.”

“Did he let you know any of this beforehand?”

“No, I thought everything was good. We didn’t talk much, but I attributed that to being out west for so long and the time difference.”

Pam sighs. He can picture her immediately, phone cradled between her shoulder and ear, hands pulling her hair away from her face as she enters ‘mom mode’. “Blaine, honey, sometimes you’re so much like your father it’s scary. Communication is so important to a relationship, and you’re still so young and impressionable. I remember when you came out that you said all you wanted was to meet the boy of your dreams...and I think you lost him because of that lack of communication.”

“What do I do?” he asks quietly. A tear is already falling, a holdout from the last several days.

“Normally I would say move on, but I know that’s difficult for you. Once you get back to New York, Kurt’s going to be in your presence again because of Finn. Be cordial, be hospitable, don’t ignore him. As long as your group is together and he’s in the city, there will always be times where you’ll need to be in the same room. Trust me, I know how hard it is. I dated my college roommate’s twin brother, and after I broke up with him I still had to see him for three months.”

“Ouch. That must have been rough.”

“It was.” Blaine hears some whispering over the line before Pam comes back on. “Your father wants to talk to you, okay?”

Blaine’s eyes widen. “Yeah, sure.”

He counts to five as he waits for William to take over. “Hey, kiddo, happy Thanksgiving.”

“Happy Thanksgiving, Dad.”

“I wish you were here today--everyone does. Your grandmother almost set a plate out for you.”

“She did?” He chuckles--Grandma Anderson has always considered Blaine her favorite out of the three grandchildren, but for every year Cooper or their cousin, Justine, missed, they never had a place at the table reserved.

“After I promised to her we’ll bring you over on Christmas Eve, she put it away--you’ll be here then, right?”

“Yeah, Dad. We get the last couple weeks off for the holidays, then we leave for Spain on the fourth of January.”

“Good,” William says. “I miss you, kid. I see you on television doing all these shows, and you’re making me so proud.”

Suddenly the tears are back, but for a different reason. Not once has his father admitted anything like this to him. “Thanks, Dad,” he chokes out.

“And, you know, you can invite your boyfriend over at some point during the holidays. I’d like to meet him--or your fake girlfriend, even. Hey, get her to autograph something for me, the guys at work will be insanely jealous.”

Blaine chuckles. “Well, since Santana is just as gay as I am, it’s not me they should be jealous over.”

“Still, I want to meet Kurt. Invite him and his family over one day and we’ll have dinner together.”

“Kurt and I broke up, Dad.” He explains the story again.

“Wow, that’s terrible,” William replies, his voice sincere with sympathy. “I know you think I’ve been hard on you in the past due to your sexuality, and I was. I didn’t know how to handle that at the time, especially once you started dating that scuz in high school.”

“His name’s Sebastian.”

“He isn’t anything less than scuz,” he laughs. “And I worried that you were selling yourself short when you went off to college and you’d struggle with a music degree. But here you are, a bonafide star that even your older brother isn’t, and even if you’re being forced to hide, you still go out there and do your thing. One day, I hope you have the chance to explain to the world who you are and show them the person you love. What happened to you at that dance...it was a shadow of what I assumed would happen in the future to you. But you’re stronger than that, Blaine. You’re stronger than all the hatred out there, and I cannot be any happier of the man you’ve turned into.”

“Thank you, Dad,” Blaine chokes out. “Thank you for raising me into that man.”

“You’re welcome. I’m giving this back to your mom before you start me crying, though. I’ll see you in a few weeks, kid. Love you.”

“Love you too, Dad.”

He waits for Pam to take the phone back. “You’re going to be okay, right?”

“I think so, Mom. We were only together six months, so nothing huge.”

“Okay. If you need anything from either of us, let me know. I need to get to sleep so I can get to the mall early enough. Have fun, tell everyone hi for me.”

“Of course, Mom. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye, sweetheart.”

Once he hangs up, he turns his phone on silent, plugs it in, and closes his eyes. Tomorrow has to be better, and he doesn’t have to think about everything he’s lost.

* * *

Sitting backstage at Madison Square Garden during one of the biggest concerts of the year is surreal. The fact that Titan, who didn’t exist a year ago, is one of this year’s Jingle Ball headliners makes Blaine’s head spin. He’s been to the version of the show in Columbus a few times, but that’s a pale comparison to everyone who’s here.

Being one of the headliners means they have an extended set, to which they’ve decided to add in solos. Puck and Finn made their choices early, going with classics by Billy Joel and Foreigner. Mike’s on partial vocal rest at the moment after recovering from laryngitis, so he’s only adding in a dance routine that will definitely bring the house down. Sam took his time going through several choices before landing on a country anthem he thinks is kind of risky, yet worthwhile due to his life.

Blaine, though, has been going back and forth between two contemporary songs. He loves the twist he’s given to one--a Katy Perry hit that is sure to make waves. However, he isn’t quite sure it’ll go over too well if he sings a song by a female, so he’s settled on Imagine Dragons’ debut single, It’s Time. He’s putting the finishing touches on the arrangement as the first act goes on, and he’s...not quite satisfied. There’s something that seems to be lacking in the production.

Someone knocks on the door, startling him. “Come in,” he calls out as he turns around.

The last person he expects to see opens the door. “Hey,” Kurt says quietly.

“Hey.” Blaine already spent a few brief moments with Marley, Tina, and Artie before the show began, and he knew Kurt was also in attendance. They still haven’t spoken since that night, and he’s almost scared to see what will transpire once he opens his mouth to ask why Kurt did it.

“How have you been?” Kurt asks as he closes the door behind him.

“Alright,” Blaine replies. “You?”

“I’m hanging in there--finals are this week, so tonight’s a bit of stress relief.”

“Yeah, that’s what Marley said,” he chuckles. “God, this time last year I was going through all of that and worrying about my final grades, and now…”

“Now you’re about to entertain twenty thousand people.”

Silence settles over them before Kurt speaks again. “Look, Blaine, I just want to say I’m sorry for what I did. I know it was the shittiest thing, and I half expected you to throw me out once you saw my face, but I felt it was the right thing, for both of us.”

Blaine nods. “No, I get it. I wasn’t really being the best boyfriend to you, and I deserved it.”

“To tell you the truth, I was a little jealous.”

“Of what?”

“Of that kiss Santana laid on you,” Kurt says. “I wasn’t able to do that, and seeing her go in like that felt like a stab to the heart. I understand why she did it, and it would have looked so awkward if she didn’t, but...it still hurt.”

Blaine flashes him a small smile. “You know that’s the only time we’ve actually kissed? We never even discussed doing that.”

“I guess that helps.” Kurt stares down at his boots. “Blaine, I want you to know that...I still love you. You were the first person outside of my family who made me feel like I can be the person I want to be. That bold, brash kid that’s been clawing to get out--he can, because you never once wanted to hold me back. You gave me incentive to chase my dreams harder, and once I secure my 4.0 for the semester, I’m going to give all the credit to you.”

“Kurt, no,” he says. “I wasn’t even here half the semester.”

“You showed me around campus, you introduced me to your friends, you proved to me that _I_ could be loved, and love back. Before you I only found guys who looked for a quick fuck, and that was it. It was okay at first until I started yearning for the one thing I never thought I would experience because who wanted a kid with a high voice and an investment in fashion and Broadway?”

“I did,” Blaine says. He scoots off the bench and pads across the room to Kurt. “Kurt, you are everything that is right with the crazy world. This year has been the most thrilling, insane time of my life. But between the fame and getting things right with my dad and living out a dream I never thought I would, even at a high price--you’re the best thing that’s happened to me this year.”

“Blaine…” Kurt starts before Blaine surges forward and kisses him. The shock dissipates as Kurt melts into his arms, responding in the same way he always did before Blaine left for the tour. He pulls away all too soon. “Blaine, what--”

“I love you, Kurt,” Blaine says, voice trembling. “I love you more than I ever thought I could love someone. I know I messed things up by not calling enough or not putting enough into hearing about your life, and I’m so sorry. I promise I will do that, if you take me back.”

“I--I don’t know,” Kurt replies. “I thought you were my one true love, and then you weren’t. Just like Bethenny and Jason.”

He cracks a smile. “So we’ll be Will and Jada instead.”

Kurt starts laughing and shakes his head. “This really has been the worst three weeks. I barely slept at all that first week, and Carole was this close to grabbing some Ambien for me because I kept waking her up stress baking.”

“That sounds interesting. Speaking of, if you’d like to bake something to bring to Westerville during the holidays, my parents have extended an invitation for you and your family to visit.”

“That sounds wonderful,” Kurt says. “And you said things with your dad are better?”

Blaine nods. “I’ll tell you about it tomorrow. Right now I have to get ready for the show.”

“What about tonight?”

“Oh, I have other plans that involve you tonight,” he smirks.

“That no reunion would be complete without.” Kurt kisses him again. “Break a leg out there.”

“Thanks. And Kurt?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

Kurt smiles as his hand touches the doorknob. “I love you, too,” he replies.

As soon as the door closes again Blaine starts jumping around the room. Things are exactly where they should be...there’s just the question about his solo song. And suddenly he realizes what he needs to do. He fires off a text to Santana, _Change of plans tonight, K’s back home. Song for him, say it’s you._

The reply is quick. _NO FUCKING WAY??? Get it, honey! And of course I’ll let you “sing to me”_. Blaine smiles as he starts in on the next phase: getting Will to approve the change.

Three hours later, midway through their set and just after Finn’s killer performance of Jessie’s Girl, he sits down in front of a baby grand. “You still hanging in there, New York?” he asks, receiving a shrill response that nearly leaks through his earpieces. “Alright, alright. This song,” he continues, starting to play the first couple chords of his version, “it’s very special to me. And I want to dedicate it to the love of my life tonight.” More screams greet him, as people assume he’s singing for Santana. He grins and continues, bringing his voice in after he completes several bars.

“You think I’m pretty, without any makeup on…”


	10. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finn's death happens in this chapter, so if you wish to skip it I understand, especially as we're at the anniversary of Cory's death.

“Hold up, you can’t even consider that as a word,” Artie argues, vetoing Blaine’s latest Scrabble play.

“Dickie? It is totally a word,” he says.

 

“It’s a brand name, you can’t play it!”

Kurt, who’s reclining on Blaine’s shoulder, wine swirling up the sides of his glass as he twists it, counters. “A dickie is a shirt front as well. Honestly, I thought your sweater collection would have given you even the simplest of fashion knowledge.”

Tina playfully shoves Kurt’s shoulder. “You’re so mean. Blaine, why are you dating someone so mean?”

“He’s only mean out of his love for his closet,” Blaine smirks.

Kurt leans in for a kiss. “Excellent answer. I knew having you around more would pay off.”

It’s been two months since Titan and The Troubletones’ European tour ended, and everything is refreshingly calm. They had a month-long break that Blaine mainly used to spend in Westerville catching up with family and friends. NYU’s spring break fell towards the end of his time, so he also got to spend days in Lima seeing the places that made Kurt into the man he loves. The final weekend, Santana invited them to a mini-getaway in Miami. It certainly caused some new speculation for fans, even though Kurt and Brittany were around. Lately the internet is abuzz that Blaine and Santana are searching for an apartment together--a rumor that highly amuses him. He knows he couldn’t spend more than a week in the same room as her.

The past two weeks have been back to the grind, and album number two is officially underway. Things are different this time around: they’ve found new, highly sought after producers, and they’re all writing songs for consideration. So far they’ve recorded vocals on eight songs, including two Sam wrote over the summer. Blaine has a few he’s been toying with, but he isn’t ready to submit anything until he knows everything is a hundred percent.

The best part of it all, though, is getting to see everyone else. He feels terrible that he’s neglected his friendship with Tina and Marley, even though they insist they understand his hectic life. Marley’s back in Ohio right now for Ryder’s birthday, and Finn and Rachel were supposed to join them at Artie’s apartment before Finn began complaining of shortness of breath during today’s recording session. He decided to take the night to relax and spend with his girlfriend alone rather than with his stepbrother and bandmate’s group of friends that he doesn’t know well.

“Okay, fine, whatever,” Artie huffs. He studies his letters and the board for several minutes before placing a set down. “Partake. Double word score. Boom!”

“Way to go, baby!” Tina exclaims, pecking his cheek.

Kurt rolls his eyes. “We aren’t this cheesy, are we?”

“I don’t know, do you want to be?” Blaine asks. As soon as Kurt glares at him, he bursts out laughing. “You know I’m kidding, right?”

“I really hope you are.” Kurt is interrupted by his phone going off. He sets his glass down, picks the phone up, and answers. “Hey, Rachel. What’s...what are you...sweetie, you’re hyperventilating, what are you…” Kurt goes pale a second later and starts trembling. “Are you serious? Is he...no, no, we’ll be there as soon as we can...absolutely, I don’t even know if I can...just, do your best to stay calm. Blaine and I will be there ASAP. Call me if you find anything out...love you, too.”

Kurt bolts off the couch, knocking pinot noir onto the arm of Artie’s couch. “Kurt, what’s going on?” Blaine asks as he stands up.

“Finn’s being rushed to the hospital,” he blurts out. “All she could say was that he passed out while they were watching television and she couldn’t wake him up.”

“What?” Blaine gasps. “Is he okay?”

“I have no idea.” Kurt is visibly shaking, the tremors too powerful for him to pull his arms through the sleeves of his jacket. Blaine rushes across the room to assist him. “Thanks,” Kurt say.

Blaine turns to Tina and Artie. “I’m sorry we had to cut the game short,” he apologizes.

“No, it’s understandable,” Tina replies, her face knit in worry. “Let us know what’s happening, okay? This sounds scary.”

“Yeah,” Artie chimes in. “Give him my best.”

“Will do,” Blaine says. He opens the door and guides Kurt out to the hallway and towards the elevator.

Once they’re on the elevator and heading down Kurt starts panicking. “I shouldn’t have left,” he says. “Carole’s going to kill me for this. I should have stayed home and looked after him.”

“Hey, hey.” Blaine sets his hands on Kurt’s shoulders. “You had no reason to think this was going to be this serious. Besides, Finn’s almost twenty-four, I’m fairly certain Carole wouldn’t have expected anything from you.”

“I know, and I almost called you and cancelled tonight. Finn told me to go anyway, to enjoy the time we have together since everything’s so insane.”

“And that’s exactly what we were doing.”

They reach the ground floor and exit, rushing out of the lobby and to the curb to hail a taxi. Once one pulls up, Kurt tells the driver which hospital Finn was taken to. As the driver navigates through the Brooklyn traffic, Kurt begins to worry again. “You’re sure he was only complaining about the breathing today, right?”

“That’s all I remember,” Blaine says. He pulls Kurt towards him and starts whispering in his ear. “He’s going to be okay, I promise. The doctors are going to do everything they can to make sure he gets better.”

He knows about Kurt’s distrust of hospitals. He’s heard the story about his mom’s death, and how they failed to discover the blood clot traveling through her brain, and how Burt was on the brink years later after an argument with Kurt one morning. This is absolutely the last thing Kurt should be dealing with right now, and he wants to make sure he knows he isn’t alone.

Kurt takes a shaky breath and leans into Blaine. “I don’t know, Blaine...I don’t know.”

Blaine has to restrain Kurt from tearing the door off as they pull up to the hospital. He pays the driver and exits, allowing Kurt to rush through the emergency entrance. He jogs to catch up to Kurt, who is babbling to the desk attendant to get any information he can.

“Finn Hudson? He was brought here a little while ago. I’m his stepbrother.”

“I understand, sir, but until the attending physician has news to relay, I cannot update you.”

“Please?” Kurt pleads. “I just want to know if he’s okay.”

“The doctor will update you as soon as he can, sir,” she repeats in a flat voice.

Rachel, disheveled and red-eyed, steps up behind Blaine. “Tell him bribing is out of the question,” she whispers.

“I don’t think he’s in a place to listen,” Blaine replies. He turns to hug her. “You doing alright?”

“As good as I can be. This is scary, you know? Seeing the person you love more than anything suffering and you can’t do a thing to help.”

Blaine nods along. “I don’t want to think about the worst with Kurt, especially if I can’t fully show my support most of the time.” It terrifies him to consider the fact. This is his other half, the person whom over the better part of a year has become so integral in his life that he can’t picture a future without him. One day, Blaine wants to get down on one knee and ask that question burning in the back of his mind--but when he is allowed to be open about himself first.

“I don’t blame you,” Rachel says. “I really have to give credit to all my acting teachers for making me seem like I’m fine when right now I just want to curl into a ball and hide until I get some news.”

“How about we sit down until then?”

She nods. “Okay.”

They walk past the desk and he pulls Kurt away mid-rant. “Breathe,” Blaine says.

“I want news and she’s threatening to call security. How am I supposed to breathe?”

“By sitting down with Rachel and me and waiting patiently.”

“Whatever,” Kurt mutters, following Blaine to where Rachel sat down.

The wait for news is eternal. Kurt is clinging to his side, stone faced and ready to jump up any time a doctor walks out of the double doors. Finally a gentle-faced man comes through. “Ms. Berry?” he asks.

They rush up and towards him. “How is he?” Rachel asks.

He looks at Blaine and Kurt behind her, but his expression refuses to waver. “Finn was in cardiac arrest when he arrived. We did everything we could, but unfortunately his heart...it gave out. I am so terribly sorry.”

Kurt’s grip on Blaine’s arm tightens. “You’re joking,” he hisses. “Tell me you’re joking.”

“If I could, I would,” the doctor replies. “He passed away about twenty minutes ago.”

Blaine feels his heart drop through the sterile white linoleum. To his left, Rachel begins bawling, unable to contain her wails. On his right, Kurt is rigid, doing everything he can not to break down. Blaine pulls him closer and whispers in his ear. “We’re going to get through this.”

“He’s gone, Blaine,” is all Kurt manages to choke out before the tears take over, causing Blaine to start crying as he holds his boyfriend closer. Now is not the time to worry about someone taking their closeness in the way it’s meant; it’s time to comfort someone who moments ago lost his stepbrother, the same person who is--was--one of Blaine’s friends.

And he realizes just how much hell is about to break loose.

* * *

Blaine knots his tie, pulls it through, then sighs and undoes it. Not one thing is going his way today, from sleeping an hour past his alarm to the coffee stain on his shirt, and now his tie refusing to lay flat. This is not the day for all of this to happen.

A knock distracts him as he starts threading the tie again. “It’s me,” Santana calls out.

“Hold on,” Blaine says. He pads across the room to open the door for her. “Come in, I shouldn’t be more than five minutes.”

Santana eyes him up and down. “What’s wrong?”

“Everything. I overslept, I had to change shirts because my nerves didn’t want any coffee, my tie isn’t cooperating, and yeah, I want to be at Kurt’s side today and can’t be.” Another loop and he yanks the tie out of his collar. “Fuck everything. This shouldn’t be happening.”

“Come here,” Santana says. She toes her stilettos off as Blaine closes in, then she works the tie through and ensures it’s in a perfect knot. “My boyfriend in high school had zero clue on how to dress well, so I had to research everything about menswear before we went to prom.”

“Sounds like he was a keeper.”

“Our first time together should have been a huge red flag to my sexuality,” she jokes before flashing Blaine a small, sad smile. “Relax, okay? Today sucks, I know. It sucks for millions of people. But that’s how many people who Finn was able to touch in some way, including me. He may have frightened me by inheriting the body and dance moves of Lurch, but he was a good guy.”

“He would have turned twenty-four tomorrow,” Blaine says, “a year to the day since we became Titan.”

“What a way to remember that.” She slides back into her shoes. “Ready to go now?”

“Yeah.” Blaine grabs his blazer from the closet, ensures he has his hotel key secured in his wallet, and takes off with Santana to the church for the memorial.

Finn’s mother and stepfather, and Kurt to an extent, made arrangements for a private gathering at Saint Paul, the largest church in Lima. Many people from Dalton are in town to pay their respects, including Will, his wife, June, Sue, and several producers and executives Titan has worked with. All of The Troubletones are here as well. Even Blaine’s parents have driven in from Westerville, knowing that Finn had a deeper connection to Blaine than most people.

The fan outpouring has been tremendous. He’s seen tweets and Instagram messages from so many who have experienced the grief right along with Titan. The morning after, Puck and Mike came over to Blaine and Sam’s apartment and they spent every minute discussing the best memories of the past year. Finn was the unspoken leader of the group, the one who resolved conflict and spoke up if they weren’t happy with a song. When Kurt arrived later that evening, they took him in and made sure he wasn’t left out. Finn was a brother to all of them.

Scores of fans are lined up near the church, barricaded off by the police. Blaine hears the screams the moment he and Santana step out of their car. She takes his hand, igniting more whoops, and they join the mass entering to pay their respects. As they enter the sanctuary, Blaine immediately searches for Kurt in the crowd. He’s standing near the casket, with Burt and Carole, talking to some young men who were probably friends from Lima. Kurt looks immaculate in his black suit, though the sleeplessness and exhaustion of the week are evident on his face. Blaine yearns to kiss him and tell him everything will be okay.

“Blaine, Santana,” June says as she enters behind them.

He turns around and smiles. “Hello, Ms. Dolloway.”

“This is a lovely church,” she muses. “Reminds me of the one I used for my first wedding, even down to the same painting of Jesus’ resurrection at the altar.”

“It’s definitely interesting,” Blaine says.

“Is that your young man up front?”

He looks again at Kurt, now talking to Puck, Quinn, and Puck’s stepbrother. “Yes, ma’am.”

“I must say he looks like a keeper,” June replies. “And he’s kept with you all this time?”

“We had a few bumps,” Blaine says, “but we’re good. I love him and he loves me.”

She nods in understanding and pats his shoulder. “Don’t lose him.”

“I won’t.”

As June departs to greet one of the marketing executives, Santana rolls her eyes. “Jesus, I thought she was going to let us break up,” she sighs. “Kurt needs you, it’s so evident in his eyes, but no. You’re here with me, and not up there where you belong. If Britt’s sister suddenly passed away, you would have to put a restraining order on me to get me away from her side.”

“Now?” Blaine asks, astounded by her assumption. “That wouldn’t go over so well right now.”

“So what? Love should triumph over convenience.”

He shakes his head and walks forward with the line. “Of course I want to be up there with him, but not at a price.”

Reaching the front is even more heartbreaking, as Blaine notices Carole in tears. “Carole, I’m so sorry,” he says, leaning in to give her a hug. “You had such a wonderful son.”

“Thank you, Blaine,” she replies. “It’s still surreal. First his dad, now him...I don’t think I can do this once more.”

“You shouldn’t have to.”

“Your mom--Pam is her name, right?--she brought some coffee cake with her this morning and it was incredible. I haven’t had much of an appetite this week, so this was the first time I’ve really been able to eat.”

Blaine smiles. “That’s her name, yes, and I’ll let her know you enjoyed it.”

He moves on to shake Burt’s hand. “So this is the girl, huh?” Burt asks as he watches Santana console Carole.

“Yeah, that’s her,” Blaine replies.

“Could’ve been given a lot worse.” Burt straightens his posture and looks Blaine in the eyes. “Thank you for being with him that night,” he says in a lower voice. “God knows this kid’s been through enough tragedy. He would have gone off the deep end if it weren’t for you.”

“I wouldn’t be anywhere else,” Blaine replies. “Kurt--he means so much to me. Even if I’d never met Finn in my life, I would have stayed with him.”

“Come on over tonight for dinner. Santana, too. We’ve got so many casseroles in the freezer that a few more mouths won’t be a problem. Hell, bring the rest of the guys with you as well.”

“Of course we will,” Blaine accepts without hesitation. He shakes Burt’s hand again before moving on to speak to Kurt. “How are you doing?” he asks.

“Okay,” Kurt answers sullenly. He’s ragged from the insane week, and Blaine wants nothing more than to lean in and kiss him to make things slightly bearable. “I’m hoping I wake up tomorrow and everything’s back to normal.”

“If only,” Blaine adds. Silence hangs over them, neither wishing to act upon their desire for comfort with hundreds of onlookers who don’t know their situation around.

Santana steps in and immediately pulls Kurt into a hug. “Kurt, I’m so sorry,” she says. “I know you’ve been hearing this since Tuesday, but Finn was a great guy who meant a lot to me.”

“Thank you, Santana,” he replies. “He seemed to like you a bit as well.”

“Of course he did, everyone does,” she smirks.

“I don’t know, the jury’s still out on that.”

Blaine feels less pressure on his chest. The banter has drawn Kurt out of his shell, and he’s enjoying Santana’s bluntness. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?” Blaine says, feeling the crowd waiting for him to move on.

Kurt nods. “Text me when you’re on your way.”

“Of course.” He smiles and squeezes Kurt’s hand, receiving a slight smile in return.

“So now what?” Santana asks as they step away. “Do we just step up to the casket and say goodbye?”

“Um, the four of us are going up together,” Blaine replies, nodding towards where Sam and Puck are standing. “If you want to go ahead, that’s fine. Save me a seat?”

“Of course,” she says, walking away from him.

Blaine joins the others while Mike works his way through the line. “I don’t want to do this,” Sam laments. “Can we skip this part and go back to the hotel to drink?”

Puck gapes at him. “What the hell. This is our bro, and you want to skip out on saying goodbye?”

“Yeah,” Blaine nods. “Besides, Kurt’s dad invited us over for dinner, so I’m afraid drinking is out of the question for a couple hours.”

“Oh,” Sam replies. “I hate funerals. This is all reminding me of when my grandpa died when I was six. I spent five minutes trying to get him to wake up before Mom told me we had to leave him. I haven’t been able to look at a corpse since.”

“The casket’s closed, so you don’t have to worry about that. Besides, you don’t have any problems when we’re watching action movies.”

“Yeah, but those are fake.”

Mike finally joins them. “Hey, are we ready?” he asks.

“Yeah, provided Sam doesn’t attempt to bring him back to life,” Puck snarks.

“Thanks, dude,” Sam sneers.

“Alright, can we not argue today?” Blaine steps in. “None of us want to be here, Sam. But we’re doing this, and it’s going to be hard.”

“Okay,” Sam says. “Let’s get it over with.”

Nobody is around the casket when they reach it. “Hey, bro,” Puck starts. “It’s hard to believe you’re not here. Life’s a little duller now. You’ve been my best friend since all of this started, since you tripped over Schue’s chairs. Man, that was a great introduction.” He pauses to wipe a tear from his cheek, then balls his hand into a fist and sets it on top of the casket. “Be good up there, alright? I’ll see you at some point.”

Mike goes next. “I don’t know what to say that hasn’t already been said by everyone here. You did so much for Titan that I don’t know how we can replace you, if we even can. You were our heart and soul, and it’s going to be a lot less special without you.”

Sam hesitates, pulling at his tie. “You go first,” he says, gesturing to the casket.

Blaine shakes his head. “I want a bit of a private moment, if that’s alright. Just…”

“Oh, yeah, I get that.” He takes a step forward and inhales. “This is hard, man. You did so much for me that I could never repay you for. I’d never had an older brother, so you felt like one from the moment we met. Hearing that you’re gone...that takes a lot out of a guy, especially one who isn’t keen on death himself. But I know God’s got you covered, and you’re looking down on us with that big, goofy grin of yours. Thanks for everything.”

Once Sam steps away, Blaine walks up and stares at the blue flower arrangement for a minute, suddenly unsure of what to say.

“Finn,” he finally starts, “you were the first person to welcome me into Titan. You treated me like I belonged there the entire time, and not that I was an outsider. You immediately refused to judge me when I came out, and that meant so much. You’ve been an incredible friend and bandmate, and all of us are going to miss you.

“But most importantly, you introduced me to the greatest person I’ve ever met.” He glances back at Kurt, who is now talking to Sugar and Brittany. “I’m going to do everything I can to take care of him,” Blaine says, “even if he’s stubborn and claims he doesn’t need that. You did it, and now I’m going to continue, for the rest of my life. I...I pictured you as Kurt’s best man, you know? I mean, way down the road. And now you won’t be here for it.” He pauses to shake the emotions out so he doesn’t get so overwhelmed. “Thank you,” he whispers, “for saving him so I could meet him. I can’t picture my life without him.”

As Blaine makes his way towards the pews, he can’t help but begin to cry. Santana hands him a Kleenex from her clutch when he sits down, and she takes his hand, comforting him throughout the service.


End file.
